Retribution Of The Fallen
by Pokiepup
Summary: Sequel to Darkness Within-She ran when the world crumbled around them years ago and now she's finally ready to come home but nothing is quite as she had left it. And she soon finds out neither is she. Complete
1. Prolog

**Prolog : 10 Years Really Makes A Difference **

"It is time that the people of the world knew what they were dealing with."

Lauren could hear the President of the United States speaking, could hear her cool tone dripping with disgust that was mirrored in her various expressions. She could hear the quiet roar of agreement coming from the eight other human leaders that sat equally divided on each side of her. Lauren could even hear the outwardly quiet, overly emphasized frustrated sigh that came from her own party that surrounded her chair. The Queen of the Fae could hear it all but the truth was she had stopped listening quite some time ago. Somewhere around the time China's leader buckled under the peer pressure and Canada's Prime Minister was bullied into submission by President Montgomery.

"It is a fair, and dare I say, overdue request. For far too long we have simply deferred to you and your rule but the fact is you are the Queen of your species..._not_ ours."

She knew the woman had a point; she herself was not even human anymore. No matter how much anyone, including herself, wanted to keep using the term hybrid the truth was she was Fae. She had stopped being a hybrid long ago and stopped being human even longer then that. In reality she knew the President had valid points and had this been another time, another life, Lauren would have been first in line to support the notion. But sadly things were different; they weren't all black and white as she once thought them to be. Things weren't all about humans anymore or even bringing equality and peace to the two species because the fact was that at some point between one of the many times of saving the world and trying to keep peace between Light and Dark the human species had made greater strays then ever expected. For the first time humans became the more threatening of the two. And no matter how much she clung to the flickers of her humanity she knew bowing to this request was a death sentence not only to her people or herself, but her children and that was something she would not allow.

"I, of course, say this with the utmost respect."

_'Bullshit.' _Her predecessor may have been manageable and respectful but she herself was the most conniving, underhanded, backstabbing, ass-kissing, vile creature of a woman Lauren could ever imagine. Most peoples nightmares consisted of monsters and things that go bump in the night and Lauren's was no different up until President Montgomery had been elected. Now they consisted of having to meet this woman for a meeting or on occasion, at Starbucks.

"That being stated if you refuse as you have before then I must inform you that actions will be taken Lauren."

"Are you threatening me?" Her left brow rose as she stood from her chair, hands on the mahogany desk as she leant forward.

"No."

"Are you sure, Madam President? Because that sounded a lot like a threat to me."

"Then you misunderstand-"

"What you misunderstand is your place, I may not be the Queen of the human species but then again neither are you." She tilted her head slightly to the right letting her eyes drift over the nine of them before her attention returned back to its starting point. "I have done nothing other then show you and everyone else here respect and I would expect the same in return."

"Now hold on a minute," The Minister of Canada chirped as he straightened up in his chair. "No one here is disrespecting you, simply stating a standpoint."

"No? Then why am I being referred to by my first name? We do not golf together, we do not bake together, I have never received a birthday card or any type of goodwill from you and even if that had been the case this would be an inappropriate time for personal sentiments. You are not my president, nor is anyone else here- in fact to me and my people not a single one of you is above me. Yet I still show the respect and common decency to refer to you by you respectful and earned title."

"My apologies," The President let out through a clenched jaw, taking a slightly less aggressive stance.

"As for the issue at hand, to think that Fae should simply come out and say 'Hey, here we are' is naive and _dare I say_ unintelligent. Any populations in mass are easily scared of what they do not know which often leads to panic and violent proceedings. Say we come out. What laws are in place to protect us? If a group of humans attack one of us what are the protocols? Self defense or, because we have certain abilities, does that mean we can do nothing?"

China's leader spoke up in between taking a sip of water. "There would be laws in place."

"Right. But who would they favor? Humans naturally, no?"

"The fact is Fae have abilities humans don't. They can do things, protect themselves easily and-"

"Some. Some can do things beyond belief but then we have people who are just exceptional at math or science. Some are just good with plants. Some are so scared of people and Fae alike they don't show themselves but once a year. Are they not on the same levels as humans then? Would their punishment and treatment be the same? You are suddenly painting us all as inconceivably strong, violent, and indestructible creatures. In fact the numbers show that out of the entire Fae population the percentage of potentially dangerous individuals is thirty-nine percent which is less then America's percentage of criminals and murderers in some states."

"And who came up with these numbers? Yourself? Your camp?"

"Are you calling me untrustworthy?"

"This is taking a turn farther then it was meant too," England's Prime Minister said standing up, looking between the two women who were in a heated stare down. "We collective human leaders believe it is time that the Fae make themselves known but this is the wrong approach and we acknowledge work must be done in order to ensure everyone's safety. Isn't that right, Madam President?"

"Yes."

"Get this clear, we will not be paraded down the streets as freaks. We will not be putting our names on some black list or tattooing numbers into our arms. You want us to make our presence known then come up with better ideas and presentations then letting Madam President monopolize a three hour conference and turning it into her own personal soapbox." Her eyes moved back from him to the lady in question. "Madam President, re-elections aren't for another two years there is no need to start campaigning now, let alone amongst us. Your point has been made, recorded and considered." Standing up straight she took a calming breath letting her tense feature relax. "You have my input; you have my stance, there is nothing more to discuss. Have a pleasant day." Turning around with a slight nod, her group consisting of two men and one woman stood.

**Unknown**

"It's good to be back," Bo smiled hesitantly, her eyes staying on the backseat window. "I mean the city looks a little Hunger Games meets Total Recall but," She sighed heavily and turned her attention to Kenzi who was sitting opposite her. "It's good."

"A lot has changed."

"You don't say." Her best friend, who instead of her normally sexy, Gothic fashion was in clearly new and expensive black jeans with a dark gray v-neck shirt, the sleeves stopped just above her elbows and her makeup was about ten shades too light. The only thing that had seemed to remain the same was her hair style.

"It's been ten years, Bo."

"Right," She forced another smile and let her eyes drift back to the window. "So who's all around now, any one from the old days?"

"No one other then Sean, Lauren and myself."

"Obviously." Her smirk vanished just as quickly as it appeared seeing how her best friend just glared at the comment. "So how awkward do you think this is going to be? Like on a scale from one to ten?"

"There are only four people you need to know, Mila, Logan, Skylar and Ty. Mila is Lauren's assistant slash go-to-girl. She's quiet, shy and kinda mousey but that girl is a wiz with issues. She's rose Lauren's approval rating by three percent."

"Not too impressive-"

"That was in two days."

"Oh."

"Logan is a quiet yet intimidating guy, not amazing to look at though you wouldn't exactly kick him out of bed. He's the adviser that took Koari's place so he has far less say in what happens. Consider him the Sec of state, the human leaders do. Skylar, well, is Skylar. Keep your distance and you'll be fine. And Ty, as you know, is King of the Light Fae. Make sure you show respect when you meet him. He's a tad bit old fashioned and he's like twenty-five hundred years old or something. If you're not polite he'll take it personal."

"How do I spot him?"

"Well, look for the guy with the African accent who looks like three linebackers put together. He's pretty easy to spot," Kenzi continued sounding more irritated then anything, her attention shifting as the car pulled to a stop. "Remember them and things should flow smoothly for the political and non-personal aspect of things." She paused as the two stepped out of the car. "As for Lauren well I have no tips there. What?" She asked when the succubus stared at her in amazement.

"Nothing you've just-changed. It's like I went away and you were the hot Goth chick in home room and now your the class president running shit."

"It's been ten years; we all have to grow up sometime."

"Right." She knew she must have said that word a hundred times since Kenzi had picked her up from the airport. She had wanted to say more, say something interesting and fall back into the grove of things but it was different. Everything from the city, to the woman who she once knew like she knew herself. The sound of yelling caught her attention and she pulled to a stop half way to the door. Letting her eyes travel it didn't take long to find the source.

To her far right a good hundred feet away in the grass stood six young men and one woman all in back knee length shorts and no shirts. They were at attention facing one single woman who, while dressed the same, had a completely different demeanor to her. Her dark blonde hair, just reaching shoulder length was pulled back tightly. She had two tribal tattoos on each arm and though it was hard to make the design, it stood out nicely on her milky skin. In a way the woman reminded her of Lauren if Lauren was an inch shorter and had an extra twenty pounds of pure muscle.

"Why do we protect the Queen?"

"Because it's our job." One brave guy stated in a way that was more of a question then an answer.

"_Because it's our job? Because it's our job?_ Do you shit for brains agree with him? Do you?" The woman looked down the line and then back up, taking an overly aggressive step forward. "No dumb-ass! It is not our job, it is our duty!"

"Wh-what's the difference?" The same young man asked. The women stepped closer.

"The difference, pencil dick, is that in a job you have the choice not do something. Taco Bell workers have a job. Plumbers have a job. You know who has a duty? Soldiers have a duty! Police and firefighters have a duty! Do you see the difference?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Are you a plumber? Are you a janitor? Are you a fuckin' zoo keeper?"

"No, ma'am."

"Might as well be," She looked him up and down before snorting and returning to her previous position. "You all are the stupidest most useless group of recruits I have ever been burdened with training. You're all shit for brains. Drop down and give me fifty!"

"I'm assuming that's Skylar." Bo whispered to Kenzi and smiled awkwardly when the woman turned her head and stared at them.

"She's a bitch from a special place in Hell but she's amazing at what she does and loyal to Lauren like a Saint-Bernard."

"Whoa," Bo commented as she headed toward the door. She wasn't one to intimidate easy but she had to give it to this Skylar woman, she had a scary presence. "Her muscles have muscles."

**Sean's Loft **

Sean bounced on the balls of his feet sweat drenching his body as his red taped hands slammed into his worn heavy bag. Each hit harder then the last, faster then the last until the bag was stuck against the wall. He knew how to box properly, how to kick-box and ten other styles of fighting. He'd even won several awards in competitions. So he knew that he should be dancing around the bag. He knew his blows should be slow and mixed. He knew that every strike should have been more focused and his stance far less sloppy. But this wasn't a competition, or his choice of a workout. No, this was the only thing he knew how to do.

He wasn't someone who dreamed often. In fact he hadn't done it hardly at all up until the events ten years ago that tore his family apart. Once the smoke had cleared he had a series of nightmares for a couple months, but once life had evened out- so to speak- so had he. That was up until a month ago when the nightmares turned into night-terrors. Since then there hadn't been a night where he didn't wake up in a cold sweat, struggling for breath and little to no grasp of where he was. It was the same thing every night. At first it would only last a minute or so and then it quickly built until this morning it took over twenty minutes to remember where he was, who he was.

The dreams were short, muddled and confused, something he could shrug off as his day went. Then they gradually began to unfold until they were movies stuck on replay. Three separate dreams all with the same plot, him committing a massacre. One specific one that he found the hardest to shake was the one where he stood in a field of bodies with his sister and mother. It wasn't so much the carnage or the fact of who stood with him in the middle of it, but how much he enjoyed the feeling. Even when he awoke he could remember the rush, the exhilaration behind it, and the blood lust. He could remember how it felt to take a life, the feel of blood on his skin, the look in their eyes as their life slipped away. Mostly he remembered how he longed for that feeling again.

But then again _they were_ dreams and the confused states when he awoke, those weren't him. Those weren't his conscious desires and feelings. He couldn't read too much into it or, at least, that's what he repeated to himself over and over again as he pounded away at the bag, desperately trying to gain some sense of relief.

**Lauren's Loft **

Horrific news images played over the seventy-two inch screen about the third attack in two weeks on the boarders. Her eyes skimmed over the screen. She didn't need to watch it since she already knew who was responsible, a rebellious Fae group who was rejecting the human treaty. She didn't need to see hundreds of images of injured bystanders who had been caught in the middle of a war that started long before any of them had even been born. She didn't need to hear the hours of a five minute report that was on replay. Sadly she knew these images all too well, better then most. So when things like this came on she just watched it all play out with a clinical detachment.

Once she had been like those people, like everyone else who saw the tragedies from the outside and prayed for them. Even once her life got entangled with the Fae for the longest all she could do was sit on the sidelines rooting for the starting lineup that she was never apart of. But now she wasn't a spectator or a cheerleader, no now she was the MVP and the coach. Everything fell on her shoulders, Light and Dark, Human and Fae. It fell to her. Every failure landed to her while everything she managed to fix, to improve, well that credit went to anyone but her. At first it was a task she couldn't handle as it had helped pave the way for the incident years ago, but now she had found a balance. Between being clinical and detached without being completely shut off. She may not have been the woman she once was but she knew what she was doing to stop things like this. She knew what she was doing behind the scenes to fix this mess. And to her that was enough, it had to be.

Tearing her eyes from the screen she walked the five steps to the windows, her eyes scanning the area. Within the walls of her compound things were still beautiful and lively. Fully multicolor trees, various shrubs, benches, a few gazebos, even a mini pond on the far west end. The once massive compound had grown immensely in the past few years until it reached the mass of its own city. The walls, while far and kept in pristine condition from most places, couldn't be seen but on the highest floor of the tallest building she could see them in the distance. Looking down she scanned the area watching various Fae go on about their day, joking and laughing. After all, why wouldn't they be? They were safe here in the compound, some never even left any more.

Lauren's eyes locked on a single woman facing six men and one woman and a smirk passed her lips. She couldn't make out much detail but she knew who it was, Skylar Tsoni, her Secretary of Defense for all intensive purposes. She was a hard woman with a loud, foul mouth and the nasty habit for disobeying authority but she was the best defense specialist she had seen in her life a fact that let a lot of transgressions slide. Her eyes slid from the group over to the road where a single black, luxury Lincoln sat parked. It made her stomach drop. She sighed and reached down to the dark oak custom shelving, grabbing a hold of one of the glasses. Bending down she slid open the sleek drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey from the concealed fridge. She was in desperate need of a drink, a strong one that would make the next few minutes roll by. Tequila was her drink of choice but that was for celebrating, for relaxed occasions. Vodka was only something she drank with her Russian companions or when she needed to show off with the men of power, she hated the taste. Bourbon she could never stomach so that left her with no other choice then whiskey.

With the dreaded ding of the elevator, she brought the glass to her lips and gulped. Her stomach was suddenly rumbling and twisting in on itself. Her entire body was burning up and she was sure her cheeks were pink. She had taken on some of the meanest things this world had to offer including Vivian Montgomery, who was her own walking, talking nightmare but seeing her wife for the first time in ten years made her feel like a five year old girl staring down the boogeyman.

Bo kept her back straight, head up and jaw tight as she stepped out of the elevator. The second her foot touched the black marble memories came rushing back like a tidal wave. The good, the bad and the ugly. Taking a breath and holding it she looked to the living-room which other then new couches and a massive television nothing had changed. In the corner stood a young girl with glasses, phone to her ear, a stack of folders in her free hand and her jet black hair pulled back so tight Bo was sure it had to hurt. Her thick, black rim glasses and the fact her head was dipped making it hard to tell her ancestry. One her left side sat a taller, decently pale man with his attention split between the screen and his blackberry. She had to agree with Kenzi he wasn't God's gift to women but he wasn't unattractive.

On her right sat, unmistakably, the King of the Light Fae. Though he was sitting she could tell he was massive. She would have put him at six-two or six-three even though he was sitting, and a good two-hundred and fifty or so pounds of pure muscle. His skin was a color somewhere between light and dark chocolate, his features were welcoming yet they had a distinct sternness to them. His head was shaven so close to his head it looked as though he must have shaved everyday, although he had a nicely kept circle beard. She knew she should speak, make herself known but all she could think was, why did this man have his feet up on **_her_** coffee table? Why was this man so comfortable in**_her_** house?

"Can I offer you a drink?" Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of her wife's voice and she couldn't help how her attention flew to the woman standing by the windows with most of her back to her. Bo's lips parted to speak but she couldn't find her voice as her eyes explored the view. Things changing didn't apply strictly to landscape or the over turn of staff. Lauren was wearing two inch black heels with a black, overly form fitting skirt that cut off three inches above the knee. A sky-blue, woman's button down which not only was tucked in perfectly to show off her thin form but looked pleasingly professional. Her hair was pulled back and up, putting the thought of a sexy-librarian in the forefront of the succubus' mind, which was only reinforced by the fact Lauren was wearing her glasses.

"N-no."

"I'm Ty." The pale man said with a political smile as he stood, pulling at the bottom of his black dress jacket.

"Ty?" She raised an eyebrow with a half smile. "Really? I'm sorry, just with the description everyone gave me I was expecting a more traditional name."

"Excuse me, that is highly politically incorrect ma'am," Bo's attention went to the soft voice from the corner. Obviously Mila. "If you're around the Queen we ask that, that is cut out. Completely."

"Tervedayia Adeyem Sonyinka."

"Gesundheit." The succubus said in a light chuckle as she turned back to the man who was now extending his hand, the same overly polite grin on his lips.

"It's a bit of a mouth full and is almost always pronounced wrong. I find it saves time to just introduce myself a Ty," His subtle accent made itself known the more he spoke, his grip obviously overly tight to prove his alpha status which in itself made her smile. "A nickname the Queen herself gave me."

"Mm," Was all she said while she watched him sit back down, another question added to her list. Was why this man was wearing a tie that matched her wife's shirt color? "Did you take up religion while I was gone?" She noticed the gold crucifix that was around Lauren's neck, the fact that the top two buttons of her shirt were undone only extenuating it.

"No, but it makes the human leaders and human religious leaders a little more at ease. Makes them see that we the Fae are not heathens and believe in something other then ourselves."

"How very political of you."

"Thank you. I wish I could take credit for it since it works quite well but," she shrugged while finishing her drink. Bo's eyes followed Lauren's line of sight to the girl next to her who was forcing a smile.

"Kenz? What exactly do you do here now?"

"She is Secretary of Public Image." Mila chirped back in.

"What freakin' bizarre world did I wake up in?"

"It's been ten years Bo-things have changed. Life had to go on and people had to step up." The succubus heard her wife talking and was completely interested in what she was saying though her eyes followed Ty as he stood back up and took Lauren's glass before going to the cabinet to refill it.

"I'm getting that, well, congrats to everyone on the promotions and what not." She smiled uneasily as she looked around the group which all stared blankly at her with the exception of Ty who seemed amused.

"So, Bo where are you staying now that you've returned?"

"In my house."

"I've arranged the loft next to Kenzi's for the time being until we fin-"

"Why would I need to have a loft arranged?"

"Excuse me, ma'am, please do not cut off the Queen when she is speaking."

"Right," She nodded to Mila before looking back at her wife with a raised brow. "Okay. What's going on here? I feel like I've walked into the middle of a play and don't know my lines, everything is seriously...odd."

"It's-"

"Been ten years? Yeah, I know and in case I forget I have someone telling me every few minutes. You have to excuse me when I got off the plane I didn't realize I was stepping into some crazy alternate universe. Kenz, sweetie, congrats on the promotion but I don't get what's up with the makeover. Mila, I promise in public I will be the dutiful wife. Believe me I played the part for twenty years I'm good at it. And Mr. Ty," Her tone tightened. "I don't know what the question was or why you'd be concerned but I will be sleeping in my house, in my bed. Oh, and please keep your feet off my coffee table in the future. Any problems?"

"No, no." He shook his head, amused smirk growing. "I supposed the bed is big enough for three or four. After all, it is queen-sized."

**Saint Dymphna's Institute **

Danielle sat in the corner of the twenty by twenty padded, windowless cell. Her arms tightly confined in her straitjacket. Her head hit the wall on her right and then left repeatedly as her eyes remained closed, her body swaying to the music in her head.

_Psst. _Her eyes shot open, frantically looking around the dim, empty room. _Over here._ This time she tilted her head to the right and then to left hesitation griping her momentarily. A snort accompanied by a smirk followed a long bout of silence. _Hey. _The voice came again just as her eyes shut but this time she didn't open them again instead she let herself slip back into her previous state of bliss.

"Sorry, jackass. I don't talk to invisible assholes who I'm sure only I can hear. Tends to make the doctors think I'm crazier then I am."

"Well, you do look pretty fuckin' crazy." Her eyes opened again as she felt a chill spread through the room, the air becoming stale. Emerging through the wall was a tall, humanoid shadowy figure, though his voice was no longer an echoing whisper it still remained low and distorted.

"Always nice to see you."

"You should be a little nicer. I am the only visitor you've had in years."

"Nicer? You're a figment of my imagination, something I've made up because my cracked brain could no longer handle the isolated desolate conditions I have been forced into."

"Quoting mommy's books, how sweet."

"Blow me."

"God I love that mouth of yours, can't wait to hear it in person."

"Do you mind? In about fifteen minutes there gonna shove my delicious slop through the little hole on the floor. I personally think it's unsanitary but-" She looked up from the floor to where the figure's eyes would be. "In person?"

"I figured it was time for you to get out of here- that is, of course, unless you'd rather stay. I must say the clothes are quite fashionable."

"Well, lets do this," She used the wall for balance as she stood, making her way to the figure. She looked him up and down once before looking at her own feet which were hidden by a pair of fuzzy blue slippers. "I'm keeping these though." She chuckled, wiggling them back in forth.


	2. Things Change

A.N. Hello Everyone just a quick thing I wanted to say sorry for such the long gap in between updates that doesn't normally happen this early in the story. I did have a beta signed on but after the prolog she had disappeared for a bit and when I finally got a hold of her she unfortunately had to drop out. I have been looking again but so far no luck. Rather then let the story die off I figured I'd update after all I've already written up to chap 15. I am doing my best to catch any mistakes and hope to have a beta within a week or two.

This story will be dark and remain dark throughout. If you have read my previous story/stories you might detect a change in writing style I hope it's for the better. This story will remain M throughout from multiple sexual situations, language, and violence.

Thank you all for all of the follows, faves, reading and of course reviews. I always love to know what you guys are thinking/feeling after a chapter. Thank you again,

pokie

**Chapter One : Things Change **

"Well they're a fun bunch," rolling her eyes she turned from the recently used elevator back to her wife who was refilling her glass. "I spent a month with silent monks and had better conversations. Okay it was more like three weeks but still,"

"Three weeks really?"

"Well it was really like two weeks-more or less,"

"Bo you spent barely a week there before returning to France."

"Spying on me?"

"I'm the Queen and you're the mother of my children people feel the need to update me on your status,"

"Oh," her smile faded slightly not getting as warm of a response as she was hoping for. "Well the place looks amazing you've done an amazing job at keeping it up,"

"I have staff for that,"

"Oh, are they as much of assholes as that bunch."

"Yes. Being a self absorbed asshole became a requirement to work for me," she set her once again empty glass down, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. "What can I say I was missing you,"

"I was-" she paused the context of the comment coming into realization. "Ha, cute."

"Can we maybe do this later I hate to shoo you off so soon but I must get ready for tonight,"

"Where are we going?"

"The Black Orchid," choosing to ignore the 'we' in the sentence she began toward her bedroom knowing she didn't need to extend an invitation.

"The Dark Fae S&M club?"

"That's the one only it's less only Dark and more of a rebel owned club that is a pain in my professional and personal ass. The S&M aspect sadly is still there only it's become more women in cages rather then hanging people from the ceiling."

"Sounds lovely,"

"Mm,"

"And why are we going there?"

"I've been invited if I don't go it would be rude. Not to mention imply I am too afraid of them to show," again she ignored the succubus' inclusion of herself into the situation. Keeping her ambiguous smirk she pulled her neatly lying black cocktail dress from the mattress. "Do you mind?"

"No," Bo smiled staring at her wife for a moment before realizing the implication behind the question. Nodding apologetically she turned around facing the wall her once shy yet excited features quickly turning into hurt. "S-sorry I just figured-sorry,"

"It's fine,"

"So what did Ty," she couldn't help but make a face at his name. "Mean by that little comment?"

"Probably that the bed could fit three people,"

"Right but what did that mean?" tightening her jaw she slowly turned around to face Lauren who was now looking into the mirror above the dresser. "Lauren,"

"Bo can we really not do this now?"

"I'm just asking a question I think I deserve an answer,"

"HA. You deserve an answer?" she nearly spun to face her estranged wife, one hand laying on the dresser top while the other rested on her hip. "Your couple month travel tip to get some clarity turned into ten years. Your I'll keep in touch and write you every week turned into a single e-mail asking me for ambassador status so you could go gallivanting around on my dime. Your I want us to work on us but I just need some space to figure myself out turned into the biggest lie you've ever told me. Your I will remain faithful while I'm gone, I don't want anyone else turned into a ten year extravaganza of undiscriminating sexual escapades across the world. You think you deserve an answer,"

"Okay, I deserved that."

"Ya' think?"

"There were things that-"

"Bo save it. I was there I completely understand why you ran afterwords and can't really blame you for it."

"But you and everyone else obviously does,"

"No. We blame you for lying. You've told so many lies to so many people I don't even think you knew the truth anymore but it's fine. Really it is I've made peace with it and I believe Kenzi has too, your son on the other hand I don't think is so forgiving but that is between you and him." flashing her own political smile she began for the door stopping only when she felt Bo's hand wrap gently around her wrist.

"Lauren,"

"Bo," turning to face her. "Did you think you'd waltz back in and everything would be the same? That everyone would welcome you with open arms and you could pick up where you left off from?" gently pulling her hand away."You disappeared and for a while the world did stop and wait for you," reaching up she cupped the succubus' cheek. "But eventually the world had to start turning again,"

**Sean's Loft**

"Your mother has returned," Sean held his blows for a moment taking in the soft spoken words. "She is with the Queen as we speak. Ty may have let some things slip adding tension to the situation,"

"Adding tension," he snorted finally turning around to face Mila. "That's funny. My mom vanishes for ten years then suddenly returns at now of all times, I don't think there is anything that could happen to add tension. Think that the tension limit is already in overdrive,"

"You don't plan to see her?"

"Of course I'll see her at some point well if she bothers to stick around long enough this time,"

"Sean you aren't keep-"

"Babe this isn't out in the world, this isn't some political issue that affects anyone. It's personal. My mom took off and left us to pick up the pieces to a broken world. And it wasn't like she was off meditating or trying to fix herself she was whoring it up. Up and down the continents while we paid for it. How demeaning is that? My mother is having to pay for her to sleep with other people while every Ash and Morrigan felt the need to give her a play by play."

"I can see this is an untouchable topic at the moment," she walked over to the heated man cautiously looking him over. A sweet somewhat seductive smile coming over her lips as she looked up at him, her hands sliding under the hem of his drenched, gray muscle shirt.

"I thought there was that club appearance?"

"I'm sure with your mother's return the Queen will fully understand if you weren't feeling up to making it," her hands slid up further pulling the shirt as they moved. Lifting his arms allowing her to complete her task before wrapping them around her waist.

"And you?"

"Well I have massive amounts of paperwork what with the President snooping around,"

"Have I ever told you that you're a genius?"

"I don't believe so," the words barely left her lips before his were covering them.

**Saint ****Dymphna's**** Institute**

"We need help in here!" the nurse shouted as she knelt over Danielle's shaking body, her eyelids fluttering with her eyes rolling in the back of her head. Her small body shaking on the floor despite the nurses efforts to keep her still. "She's seizing!"

"What happened?" an orderly let out running into the room maneuvering the girl onto her side, his hand nervously shaking as he undid the straps on her straitjacket. "Make sure she doesn't swallow her tongue. We need help in here!"

The nurse reached out pulling her jaw open doing as she was told it wasn't more then five seconds later a shriek filled the room as she fell back. Using her feet she kicked herself back, her right hand grabbing her left as blood began to flow down her arms. His attention went to her a grave mistake which caused him not to see Danielle sit up pulling her arms free. Grabbing the back of his head she slammed it down on the floor twice before standing up. Strutting over to the nurse who had backed herself up against the wall. Looking down at the woman a twisted crossed her lips, spitting out the lower half over her index finger she had bitten off.

"Sorry bout that," she walked out something that the nurse breath a sigh of relief at, that was until she popped her head back into the room. "BTW lay off the red-meat, blood taste a little irony."

**The Black Orchid**

The succubus stood in the shadows against one of the many poles serving as supportive beams to the second level. A bottle of what was supposed to be beer but she was sure it was pure alcohol in her hand. Fingertips griping the rim as she taped the bottom of the bottle against her thigh to the drum heavy rock song blaring throughout the club. The pulsating throbbing of the beat vibrated the floor and the beam she leaned against alike something that only seemed to hype her up further then she already was. She knew how she must have looked hiding in the shadows, staring out into the crowd her body slight rocking to the beat. She knew she must have looked like some perv that was if anyone was paying attention but the fact was no one was.

There were four decent size cages in the corners of the club with nearly naked women dancing in them. Upstairs was piratically nothing but tables and seats surrounding five small stages where men and women were striping. Where she stood there was nothing by wide open space crowded with hundreds of people dancing and talking, some by the bar and others by the stage where the goth-rock band was preforming. Honestly it wasn't as bad as she remembered it to be and had she been making her way through Europe it would have been a place she might have enjoyed and there was no denying there was no lack of things to hold her attention. But there was only one thing that had captured it, only one thing that engulfed her entire being tonight. Lauren.

She stood there overly alert, her attention zeroing in on the blonde across the way who seemed to be enjoying herself and completely unaware of the fact she was being watched, stalked. It wasn't something she was necessary proud of but during her time away she had learned to control the beast inside of herself without hiding from it. Learned to control it without having to lock it away deep inside of herself. Her demon, her animal inside had become one with her and while it had it's perks there had been some downsides some of which were making themselves present at the moment. She didn't watch the woman as a hurt lover or a jilted, estrange wife who had been cast to the side. No she watched Lauren like she was prey. Watched Lauren like a animal who's mate was being fond over by less worthy creatures. Again it wasn't something she was proud of but at the moment she couldn't have cared less.

Her eyes narrowed as Skylar returned to Lauren's side with a drink one she took effortless. Ty had said something that made them all laugh, her wife's hand resting on Skylar's shoulder as leaned into the King of the Light. Her jaw clenching tighter as the trio continued their laughing and frequent seemingly meaningless touches. But they weren't meaningless, she and Lauren were the masters of 'meaningless' touches, for a long time that was the only way they touched. The touches lasted too long, were too frequent and too intimate to actually be meaningless. The pair laughed a little too much at what Lauren said to be genuine in anything other then trying to flatter her. But Bo didn't need her new tricks of observation to know any of this, after all she was a succubus. She could see just how hot their auras burned, how they flared the more Lauren touched them and the more she seemed to take favor of one over the other. Though the two things that bothered her the most was one how her wife's aura was burning quite bright for the duo. And two, how it had been a good ten minutes and she hadn't noticed she was watching her. There was a time when Lauren could sense her in another room and now only fifty feet away she didn't even notice.

She nearly broke her bottle with her tightening grip when she saw Skylar's hand drop to the small of Lauren's back. No matter how much time had past to her Lauren was still her wife, mate, lover, soul and if she allowed her succubus to speak, her property. Lauren's body belonged to her and her alone there hadn't been a single inch of that woman that Bo had not enjoyed, not claimed in one way of another. She wasn't worried about Lauren's heart she knew without a doubt that still belonged to her no matter what the woman said or did Bo knew she was right. They owned each other so to speak, no matter what the other one did they would always belong to one another. She herself loved her wife in a way even she herself couldn't completely understand but that was okay because Lauren shared the feeling. So no to her she was secure in knowing she had Lauren's heart but her body at the moment seemed to be up for grabs.

Just the thought was enough to drive her mad but at the same time it excited her, it enticed her. The idea of having competition. The idea of having to show off for her wife, of having to prove she was the best choice. The idea of having to show she was still the one in charge. The idea of having to 'win' her wife back over. It was a competition she knew she could win within a matter of minutes against these two. Ty might have been huge and old, Skylar may have been in far better shape but neither of them knew this woman like she did. Neither of them knew her body the way she did, they didn't know how her mind worked. They didn't know her heart. While the faint idea of this so called competition slightly excited her she knew it was going to be effortless.

And after all that was really what she wanted she had returned for her wife, for her family. She didn't come back for games and quick amusements she wanted her life back. She wanted her beest-friend, her children, and her wife. She had learned herself, forgiven herself, learned the beast inside fought it and won. She had the freedom. Freedom from monogamy, motherhood, domestication and responsibility. She had it all, did things people would only dream of and she couldn't lie she did enjoy it for a while. Enjoyed everything about it but it was only for a while. She knew this was her place, where she belonged, where her heart and soul was in more ways then one.

Now if only she could get Lauren to remember that before she lost her temper with the duo she would be perfect.

"I heard you made some new recruits cry today,"

"Shes always making people cry they don't have to be newbies," Ty smiled looking down at Lauren who's face was turned away from him toward their female company.

"I resent that, It's not my fault they send whiny, overgrown, bitch babies." Lauren couldn't help but laugh. The woman if anything other then great at her job was amusing she never seemed to run out of insults for people.

Lauren continued to smile and shift her attention between the two she had become quite skilled at convincing people she was listening when she wasn't. Any other day she would have been having a great time with the pair forgetting all about her long day and the problems of the world. But this wasn't any other day, no today her highly infuriating wife had returned. Today her world had been turned upside down.

The overly aggressive, drum heavy song transitioned to one a little more calm and as it did she felt Skylar leading her a few feet away from a pouting Ty. She allowed it after all the touch wasn't something foreign to her. Instinctively her arms wrapped around the woman's neck and let her body move with the music. She felt the woman pull her closer till their bodies were touching, swaying together as one. Any other day she would have surrendered long ago to the touch, lost herself in the excitement, in the woman's desire. But again this wasn't any other day.

There was no denying she was excited but it wasn't in credit to the music or the crowd or even her partner of the moment. No her excitement came from the fact that Bo was watching her and had been for some time now. She knew her wife had been watching her like a hawk for the half hour studying her ever move. She even knew Bo had no idea she knew by the way her intensity grew with every passing second. It may have been ten years but Lauren would be able to sense the succubus anywhere. Bo had a change in her something that was subtle until a few minutes ago but now she knew what it was. She knew what it was because she herself had changed and by the looks of things in a very similar way.

No longer did she run from what she became, no longer did she hide from it or even despise it but instead embraced it. She embraced what she did, what she is and had learned how to use it rather then fight it. Her mind like her skills sharpened beyond any thing she imagined.

Tearing her thoughts away from herself she focused on the present. Focusing on her partner who was still clueless to the fact that tonight this little dance of theirs wasn't about her or even Ty. Clueless to the fact every touch, every smile and sway of the hips was for someone else. She could feel her wife's hungry, angry gaze upon her and all she could do was grin to herself. She wasn't necessarily proud of what she was doing or how much she was enjoying it but then again no one had to know. For all anyone knew she was at a function she needed to be with people she always was with and doing something that wasn't out of the ordinary. No one had to know the difference.

The time passed as she danced with Skylar and then Ty and then with the both all the while taunting her succubus. The thought of Bo being her succubus was something that made her smile if only for a moment before she remembered Bo wasn't **her** succubus anymore at least not completely. Bo would always be her wife, the woman she loved and had a hold on her soul but she was always the woman who ran away and gave her body to everyone but her. The more her thoughts ran away remembering all the lies, all the nights she cried herself to sleep and woke wanting nothing more then the comfort of her wife's arms the more she took pleasure in tormenting Bo. It wasn't healthy but then again nothing with them ever was.

She felt Bo moving in closer something she wasn't ready for. Her game was amusing but she was nowhere strong enough to deal with Bo and their issues. She had no idea how she would handle a confrontation between the three of them and how would she explain that to the public. Had no idea if she had the strength to turn her away. There was no denying she wanted Bo from the moment she laid eyes on her. Wanted to know the feel of her lips on hers, the feel of her hands on her body, take comfort in her but as tempting as the notion was she knew she couldn't.

She knew running away would make her a hypocrite with how much she laid into Bo, with how much she despised how the woman left her but running was the only reasonable thing she knew to do. Apologetic and sweetly she excused herself from the disappointed duo and made her way through the crowd to find Kenzi at the bar.

"Well Doc you certainly know how to put on a show," she coldly smirked up at the woman from behind the rim of her tequila filled glass. Suddenly feeling a sense of shame she let her eyes fall to the ground while waiting for the human to finish off the last sip.

**Saint ****Dymphna's **Institute 

Danielle sat on the main desk her white clothes covered in blood much like her surroundings. Her legs dangled over the edge bouncing against the wood between two dead security guards that were propped up on either side. Her eyes remained closed as her bounced to the beat inside her head, hands drumming to 'the beat' on the tops of the two men's heads.


	3. Cat And Mouse

**Chapter Two : Cat And Mouse **

She kept her palms flat against the tiles, eyes shut as she let her head hang forward letting steaming water wash the stress of the day away. Wash away the political mess she was stuck in, the never ending drama that was her life. Wash away her wife though she knew there wasn't enough water in the world for the last task. Even if there was she wasn't completely sure she wanted it too. Doing exactly what she promised herself she wouldn't do her thoughts teasingly began to be consumed by the woman.

At first they were flashes of the woman, of her expressions as she made her nervous and inappropriate jokes. How she held herself with a new self assurance that for a reason she couldn't explain annoyed her. At first her thoughts were nothing more then annoyances, irritation and frustration. Then those flashes grew to glimpses of the succubus. Glimpses that allowed her for the first time since the woman arrived to actually take her in. Glimpses that allowed her to focus on how Bo had put on at least five to ten pounds of muscle. She was never out of shape or lacking definition but there was always something dainty about her and now there wasn't. She had a presence about her yet had managed to keep a sensual, feminine tone. Allowed her to notice how Bo's new, just barely passing shoulder length, obviously expensive hair cut only seemed to accentuate every pristine feature of her face. Allowed her to notice how her makeup application had become slightly more bold while her clothing choice became slightly less bold and more enticing in a sensual way.

Honestly she could live with the first two and honestly she was expecting it, there hadn't been a day she hadn't thought about Bo so why would today be any different. But it was when her mind completely betrayed her and let itself procrastinate on memories of her that she couldn't take it. There were so many she had to choose from but she couldn't shake the image of the succubus standing less then fifty feet away watching her. There was something so animalistic, raw, even unnerving about it, about being watched like prey. There was something so possessive and jealous to it that reminded her of the past, of who she really belonged to. But there was also something so gentle and longing that reminded her that there was more between them then simple, uncomplicated physical centric things.

She let the image linger in the forefront of her mind while she tricked herself in believing the warm embrace of the water was that of her estranged lover. Gentle, breathless whispers in the distance echoed in her ears her body tensing on reflex. A wave of heat spreading through her stomach and a chill rushing down her spine that the now even the scorching water couldn't warm. Eyelids fluttering open she stood up straight and pushed the nob off in one swift motion . Her senses suddenly coming back to her realizing this little game wasn't healthy. She had played this before, multiple times over the years and it always ended the same way. It always ended with her alone in a bed that was once theirs longing to be touched. Longing to be held, to be comforted in ways only Bo knew how.

Stepping out of the shower she grabbed her fluffy, white towel from the sink counter and wrapped it around her drenched, sensitive skin. Had her mind not been fighting with itself over indulging in her fantasy and focusing on the real world she would have felt the pain that the pounding water had done. Not bothering to fix herself or put on the clothes that sat on the top of the toilet seat she hit the light switch. Her toes barley made it onto the carpet when she found herself frozen in place eyes locking onto Bo who sat patiently on the edge of the bed. It was hardly seconds before the succubus had glided her way over to the blonde.

"Bo,"

"Mm," was all she bothered to get out as tilted her head up just a bit brushing her lips over hers. It took three grazing touches before Bo could coax her into excepting the advance. Her bottom lip slipping between Lauren's but she wasn't confident enough yet to push any further.

Lauren forced her eyes to stay open a rare occasion when they kissed. On one hand she wanted to push her wife away and scold her, scold herself. She had just spent all night yelling at herself for even fantasizing about this. She had just stopped herself from fantasizing about this exact moment, she couldn't believe where her composer had vanished to. But on the other hand her body was betraying her mind, betraying her will. Her knees felt weak, stomach tight with tension while the in the pit of her stomach was faint throbbing.

"What are you doing?" a breathless whisper against the succubus' lips.

"Isn't it obvious," this whisper not so much breathless as it was heavy while she slid her hands onto the blonde's hips. The action loosened the towel just a little an unintentional perk for her.

"Yes," she didn't move or raise her tone but her eyes darkened. Like a smack to the head she remembered who she was. She wasn't the same weak willed woman she was ten years ago who when not on a humanity-less rampage would simply bow to Bo's will. "But who gave you permission?" her lips fixed into a smirk as the succubus pulled back just an extra inch or two.

"You," Lauren couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped at her wife's complete sense of seriousness and assurance.

"And when did I do this?" sliding her hands under the hem of Bo's shirt resting them on the curves of her sides. She could feel her towel slipping just a little more with every passing second and if she was going to be losing her clothes Bo was sure as hell going to too.

"Well now for starters," her brow raised slightly while leaning into the touch trying desperately to keep her breathing even not wanting to admit just how good Lauren's touch felt. She had the intention of this going a little different in her mind. She had came with the feeling of anger and wanting to show dominance. Show she didn't appreciate the way those two had threw themselves after her. Remind Lauren that shewas **her** wife and no matter what had happened in the past time apart it was over now. But now all she could focus on was the woman's touch and how she had missed her.

"This isn't going to happen," Bo nodded and would have believed her had Lauren not been simultaneously pulling her shirt off.

"Okay,"

"It's not," her finger tips traced down from the underlining of Bo's blood red bra to the top of her pants. It wasn't but a second before her fingers slid in gripping them tightly.

"Okay," there was a moment of hesitation between the two both staring at one another lost in the situation at hand. Both completely lost for so many reasons some shared and some not. Bo's lips parted a sliver as she readied to speak, ready to tell Lauren she missed her and apologize for everything. In that moment she was completely ready to beg and throw all her pride and big talking to the side. But that was in that moment and in this one she found herself given such a rough tug that not only did her jeans rip open but her body crashed in the blonde's.

Her body reacted itself at the second their bodies touched her hands flew up into her wife's wet locks. Lips crashing together, their tongues instantly fighting for dominance with such synchronicity it seemed as though they were never apart. Her towel dropped from her body as the succubus' pants dropped to the floor though neither noticed as the kiss continued to grow at an unstoppable rate. Throwing what was left of caution to the wind the blonde hopped up wrapping her legs around Bo's waist while her hands entangled in brown locks, their lips never parting.

Impressively Bo nearly effortlessly held her wife up but neither was a guy so this position only had so much pleasure to be obtained. Turning them she took the few steps to the bed before setting the blonde down. Breaking the kiss she stood up straight though legs were still wrapped around her waist. Their eyes met and for a moment she was sure she couldn't remember to breath, she couldn't remember anything other then this was where she belonged. Smiling softly she let her hands rest on the woman's thighs as her eyes drank in the view.

Lauren was just as exquisite as ever, more so if possible. She looked the same yet somehow there was so much change to her. It was something Bo couldn't help but find intriguing, sexy, dangerous and yet a tad scary. Scary for so many reasons but she couldn't focus on them at the moment, she couldn't focus on anything other then this moment. This moment she had dreamed about nearly every night she was away. Suddenly in desperate need of feeling the woman she dropped down hovering over her their eyes locking once again. The succubus' hand slid down the inside of her wife's thigh until it was tightly wedged between her own bare stomach and Lauren's burning center.

"Baby," it was an obvious mistake that she couldn't help escape as her body ached for the familiar touch. It was a mistake that brought a bittersweet smile to Bo's lips.

"Baby huh?" skillfully she began to tease her wife. "I'm baby now but earlier I couldn't have been a more distant thought,"

"It was a slip,"

"A slip?" she just smirked a chilled smirk and Lauren knew she was in trouble. "Now this is a slip," the woman shot up with a moan her face burying itself in the crook of her wife's neck muffling her breathless moans.

"Oh God,"

"Bo will suffice," her smile grew as her rhythm quickened. Every thrust earning another moan, another rough bite to her throat and collar bone. It didn't take more then another minute before she reached her release. Had it been anyone else she would have been embarrassed at how quick she reached it but with Bo it was expected. The two had a skill for making each other finish embarrassingly quickly. At one point they had even had a contest to see who could do it the quickest. Luckily they were both women and succubi at that so their nights of love making consisted of earth shattering, multiples upon multiples rather then just once big climax.

Falling back she kept a hold of Bo so the woman was on top of her, legs tightening their hold. She couldn't help but smile against the woman's now raw skin as she felt her subtle trembles. _'guess the connection still works,' _she thought to herself. She had wondered if their time apart would have severed it but the answer was now apparent. Ever since she had become a succubi hybrid they had shared an unexplainable sexual connection that neither cared to dig to deep into. No matter how many times or who came the other could feel it. It was never as potentate as the one who climaxed but it was enough to do the job. The only time it was more then a 'quick fix' was on the rare occasions the two came together, only then was it enough to knock them both out for a round or two. Her smile growing at the thought she kissed Bo's shoulder softly up to ear. Lips hovering over as her breathing slowed.

"I noticed you," she had no intention of telling her the truth even when it was apparent what was going to happen. But somewhere in between everything it became less of a game and more of a reminder of what Bo really was to her.

"What?" she pulled back her eyes still glowing but a sense of seriousness behind them.

"I knew you were watching,"

"The whole time?"

"I could feel you, see you the entire time." Bo stayed quiet just looking down at her wife as the confession was bittersweet. Sweet for the fact Lauren could still feel her the way she did, could still find her in a crowded room. Bitter for the fact that Lauren knew she was there, knew what it was doing to her and yet continued to push the boundaries. Had she been in the mood from earlier she would have took pleasure in it, would have thought of all new sorts of ways to continue this little game. But now she wasn't that woman no she was the woman only Lauren could make her be. The woman who would throw her pride away and be nothing but vulnerable. The woman who tamed the beast inside of her and turned a hell-hound into a puppy.

Deciding against speaking she guided them up the bed till they were under the sheet. At first the contact was hesitant, near awkward but they slowly found their groove as Lauren's leg slid over and in between Bo's, while her head rested on her chest. Bo's arm wrapped itself around the woman her fingers idly tracing patterns on her arm. It didn't take but a full minute for Lauren to drift off something that made Bo smile knowing she still felt safe enough with her to surrender. She wasn't as lucky to slip into a slumber bliss. No her mind quickly filled with questions, doubts, musings that tortured her very soul.

What had Ty's comment meant? Why were those two so comfortable with Lauren? Why did Lauren play the game she did? What was this undeniable change in her wife? Had Lauren been with another while she was gone? Or worse had Lauren developed feelings for another? Which was worse? Had this been to Lauren what it was to herself? What would be in the morning? Would things be the same? Could they work this time? Did Lauren even want this to work? Had Lauren allowed someone to take her the way she had allowed herself? Had someone been in this bed, their bed?

The list could have gone on all night as each question only brought another, each placing a little more doubt in her mind as they went unanswered. Shaking her mind free from her self inflicted torment she forced her body to relax. Closing her eyes she breathed in taking in her wife's scent something that brought a genuine smile to her otherwise frowning lips. Their breaths falling into sync as her mind drifted off.

**Saint Dymphna's Institute **

Danielle's eyes remained closed as her body swayed while she made her way down an already explored hall. Her arms lazily stretched out hands making patterns in the air as though she was in the middle of orchestrating a symphony. In a way in her mind she was, the screams, shrieks and blood filled gargles playing the role of the instruments. So many bodies of staff, patients and visitors alike cluttered the floor. Most dead or too injured to move but there were a small amount who she had left only near death to enjoy their pain.

**Lauren's Loft**

She laid still flat on her stomach eyes only slivers as her mind danced between slumber and reality. The soft light that filled the room suggested that she should wake but she wasn't ready to step into reality. The subtle, sweet vanilla scent of her wife filled her nostrils a smell she hadn't even realized how much she missed it. A light weight that draped across her waist something she could only assume was her wife's arm something she missed waking to. This was her life how it was supposed to be but she was not delusional enough to believe that when she fully woke and the bliss of last night drifted away that everything would be fixed between them. No unfortunately she was not delusional enough to believe that. Burying her face in her pillow she inhaled deeply basking in the scent before a soft sigh escaped her as she turned carefully onto her back.

Her smile vanishing mind jolting awake upon seeing she was alone. The weight she had felt nothing more then the bunched up sheet draped across her. Letting her eyes dance around the room looking for a sign of Lauren not believing the woman would have simply run out on her. Though it quickly became oblivious she did.

"Shit," she let out to herself in a huff sitting up as she threw the sheet off her body. Standing up she made quick work of her clothes before making the bed. She had started for the door but something grabbed her attention under the chair in the corner of the room. Taking a closer look at the black figures she realized they were a pair of men's dress shoes. Deciding not to get herself worked up she stood up hands on her hips as her eyes surveyed the room. Apart from the shoes there was nothing out of place, a dresser with nothing other then Lauren's things. The newly made bed with the two bedside stands. A stand up dresser next to the chair that severed a double purpose of weapons and clothes.

Knowing she should leave it alone she stared down the door. She knew she should leave it, knew she shouldn't be snooping. But after all this was still her house too wasn't it. Feeling there was nothing left to find here she turned to the bathroom which looked the same as always with the exception of two things. A ball of Lauren's clothes at the corner of the tub and a decent sized zipper bag that rested in the corner of the sink. Jaw clenching her mind jumping to the conclusion she knew what was inside, or really what she cared about who it belonged to. Needing to be sure she picked it up and began shuffling through. If she was sure of one thing it wasn't Ty's unless he was secretly a cross-dresser.

She couldn't help but chuckle at her own thought. Makeup, toothbrush, a couple feminine hygienic things. She stared down long and hard at the contents debating with herself if it could be Lauren's but it was a pointless debate she already knew the answer. Her wife's things were exactly where they were supposed to be and for as laid back as the woman was she had a pet peeve about her hygienic products being in their proper place, even her shampoo had a proper place.

Tossing the bag back she stomped through the room out into the hall now determined to find something else. She peeked in what was her son's bedroom nothing having changed, and the same with her daughter's. The guest bedroom being next and yet again nothing had changed, nothing even out of place. Doubling back she debated looking in the bathroom but what would she find in a public bathroom? Reaching the living-room once again her hands found her hips as her eyes did the recon. Nothing had changed with the exception of some over the top comedy movie of the moment on the desk under the television but then again that wasn't damning proof.

Shaking her head disapprovingly at herself as plopped down on the couch deciding she was going to let this go up until her eyes locked on the fridge. Jumping up figuring what would it hurt to look first was the freezer with nothing odd other then the abundance of fish, and pecan ice cream two things Lauren was not fond of. Moving down to the fridge which was surprisingly almost empty with the exception of an abundance of yogurt another thing she didn't care for. Hardly the proof she was looking for she found her way back to the couch.

She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing or what she was looking for. She wasn't even sure what she would do if she did find some type of damning proof. Feeling slightly embarrassed like a love sick high school girl she settled into the couch deciding she just needed a little more sleep.

**Saint Dymphna's Institute **

Lauren stood just inside the entrance doors watching as paramedics and officers scrambled through all refusing to even glance at her. In the distance further down the hall she could see Ty instructing a group of paramedics while Skylar was marching down the hall with the search team.

"Why don't we go outside? Kenzi and Mila are out there already monitoring the public relations of this."

"I'm fine,"

"Really we should step outside-"

"Logan I don't want to step outside." she turned to face him scowling up at the man with an otherwise emotionless face. "How many dead?"

"Rough total two-hundred and thirty. All staff and visitors accounted for with no survivors."

"And the patients?"

"Well that's a complicated question that-"

"Logan I am not a child who needs to be sheltered I know my daughter is who did this. Now I need to know did she make it out and was she the only one?"

"N-no," his response full of hesitation as he looked down at her wishing he was anywhere but here at this moment. "Her and two others made it out. There was one other she attempted to take with but he was...uncooperative."

"God help the soul who tries to stand in her way,"

"Ma'am?"

"Nothing please see what assistance you can offer," she forced a polite smile and nodded but they both knew it was a dismissal. She continued to look onward at the scene unfolding as her mind desperately tried not to focus on the reality of the situation.


	4. Answers To Nothing

**Chapter Three : Answers To Nothing **

She relaxed into the passenger seat her mind cluttered with so many thoughts, so many fears. Yet the only thing she could focus on at the moment was how weird it felt to sit in the front seat of a car let alone the passenger seat. In the past ten years there was only one other time which was nine and a half years ago. Occasionally she would sneak out and drive one of her three cars but the last time that happened was three years ago. She had used to be a doctor slash scientist slash occasional psychological profile specialist so she knew focusing in on something that was near insignificant was her brains way of coping. Her brains way of giving her time to take in the situation subconsciously. She knew all of this yet the fact that she was in the passengers seat made her chuckle to herself.

"Aren't you going to ask me if I'm alright?" she asked her pitch still a little higher then normal as her chuckling had yet to completely subside. "Really?" her brow raised actually kind of bothered by the fact all she got from Skylar was a head shake not even bothering to face her.

"What's the point?"

"Well it's common courtesy and shows you care to some degree,"

"Careful this is starting to resemble one of those conversations where we talk about our feelings," it was her turn to chuckle though it was soon regretted as she saw the woman's features tighten out of the corner of her eye. "Lauren-I'm gonna call you Lauren cause this feels like a personal off the record kinda talks,"

"I knew I should have had Ty drive me," the blonde turned her attention forward her awkward, ill-placed amusement at her situation now gone.

"Want me to go back?" her tone like her expression unable to hide that she was bothered by the comment. "No? So can I finish what I was saying then?"

"Sure,"

"What I was going to say before I was **rudely** interrupted was that it would be stupid to ask you if you're alright. Your estranged, promiscuous, bitchy, unlikeable, borderline stalkerish wife just returned out of nowhere and thinks things should return to how they were before she ran away. Your son is bonking your assistant. Dragon lady is snooping and now you have a massacre on your hands. So knowing all that why would I ask you the stupidest question in the world,"

"Well," her eyes shifted to Skylar who since at a red light was staring at her. "When you put it like that,"

"How else you want me to put it?"

"You're right for a second I forgot who I was talking too,"

"Huh?"

"Delicacy, tact, amenity, discretion—look these words up,"

"That sounds like a lot of work couldn't I just buy an apologies card or something and call it a day?"

"You're hopeless,"

"Naw, I prefer charming."

"I prefer we not talk the rest of the ride,"

"Must you always have the last word?"

"I'm Queen it's my right to have the last word,"

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Seriously Lauren I can keep this up the whole ride," she laughed leaning her head against the head rest.

**Saint Institute**

"The Queen?" Logan inquired walking up behind Ty who stood in the grass his attention engulfed in his phone.

"Skylar is taking her home."

"Probably for the best,"

"Mm-hm,"

"Sorry am I bothering you?"

"Are you bothering me? What are you a woman?" his attention shifted to the man as he handed his phone over. "Those are the records of the two she took with her since there isn't any staff on hand I had to track it down,"

"Do we have orders?"

"The Queen is taking some personal time to muse of the options and give each one it's due consideration," the two looked to Mila who seem to appear from no where. "Your orders are as they were thirty minutes ago, clean up this mess."

"Sometimes I just want to shove her tiny ass in a tiny box and put it somewhere no one would find it," Ty griped eyes glued to the woman as she walked off toward Kenzi.

"Get in line,"

**Lauren's Loft**

_'Perfect,' _she thought to herself walking out of the elevator eyes immediately locking in on Bo who was rearranging the numerous picture frames that rested on the desk under the television. Unable to contain her disapproving sigh she ran her hand through her hair mind racing to figure out just how she was going to handle this.

"Surprised to see me?" she smirked sarcasm dripping from her words. "Or maybe you were expecting someone else?" putting the last picture in it's place she turned leaning back against the edge, arms folded.

"We aren't doing this right now,"

"Right, right." she nodded forcefully her sarcasm growing to irritation at Lauren's dismissal. "Who's living here with you?"

"No one," rolling her eyes she made her way to the drinks cabinet.

"Maybe living is the wrong word, who's been spending the night?"

"No one,"

"Then what's with the shoes and personal bag in the bathroom?"

"You're snooping around my bedroom?" she turned around brow tense in a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.

"And while we're on the subject of odd things whats with the fish, yogurt and ice cream?"

"I'm sorry I thought you went away to find yourself not become the creepiest version of yourself. Did you snoop through anything else? Perhaps go through my trash? Check the garbage disposal?"

"This is my house too,"

"No." she turned around suddenly her leg hitting the corner of the cabinet. "This **was** your house too,"

"Still is,"

"No Bo you left. Sorry left is an understatement you disappeared, vanished. Your own son barely heard from you, have you even called him or were you too busy invading my privacy?"

"I've called him twice he isn't answering,"

"Oh you called him how considerate,"

"Don't tell me how to have a relationship with my son,"

"Playing the word relationship a little fast and lose there Bo,"

"And you're playing a little fast and lose with those refills Lauren," the succubus continued to keep her somewhat relaxed stance and calm tone despite being fuming on the inside. One small set back of accepting her inner succubus was the fact that her temper had shortened on certain issues.

"Now you take an interest? Better late then never I suppose,"

"Why don't you answer my questions,"

"Because I don't want to,"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want too, this is ridiculous."

"Who is Ty and Skylar to you?" Bo's tone growing softer.

"Why don't you ask what you really want to know. Ask if I've been sleeping with them,"

"That wasn't what I was asking,"

"No but that's what you want to know," walking over to the couch she sat down realizing her day was only going to get worse. "It's none of your business if I am or not,"

"None of my business?" she held her left hand up.

"Tell me did you keep that on while you fucked everyone you came across or have the decency to take it off," she took a drink eyes narrowing behind the rim of her glass.

"I'm a succubus,"

"And so am I now or have you forgotten?"

'Guess that's my answer then huh,"

"Oh don't be so melodramatic Snoopy." she couldn't help but sigh, closing her eyes as she let her head fall back against the cushion.

"Do you love him? Her? Them?" she asked childishly cutting of the blonde who was about to speak. "Not even sure how'd that work, can you love to people at once?"

"You seem to think so must we reminisce the years of the Dyson love triangle?" she felt sick in the pit of her stomach bring up his name in such a way. Instantly feeling a wave of guilt her anger once again took a backseat. Her eyes opening as she straightened her back. "Can we not do this Bo, can we be adults?"

"I'm not the one refusing to answer questions."

"Jesus Christ Bo the damn ice cream is Kenzi's she spends a lot of time up here with me. The fish yeah it's Ty's he doesn't eat red meat and the yogurt is Skylar's. You did good Dick Tracy. The shoes in the bedroom are Sean's, you know our son? And my drinking had increased yes but so has my tolerance. It takes the edge off being hungry all the time, I learned it from you."

"Oh-well,"

"Yeah-"

"Well what-"

"Bo I'm not indulging this any longer I can't. My head is killing me, I'm starving and they are going to be here soon-"

"Right cause work is more important, some things don't change." her growing hurt taking form in annoyance as she walked over to get herself a drink. "By the way thanks for leaving me in the bed like that really know how to make a girl feel special," pausing as she took a sip while Lauren stood her jaw clenched the comment obviously striking a cord. "Your new little playmates enjoy that too?"

"You know Bo honestly this morning when I woke up I was conflicted, seriously conflicted about what had happened and what I was feeling. I was conflicted because for the most part I indulged myself in this fantasy that maybe you matured and maybe we could just pick up where we left off. Indulged myself in that all the way up until about fifteen minutes ago. Now I feel stupid. I feel stupid because I thought last night wasn't a mistake. Thought that we could pick up and be okay. Thought that your little stalker thing last night was actually about me, about being hurt. But now I see it's about nothing more then your pride. You haven't grown up Bo, you're still the same selfish, self absorbed child you've always been only difference is now you're dressing in mommy's clothes hoping no one will notice. You want to know where I was this morning?"

"No," the reply escaping through clenched teeth, her features tightening and un-tightening as she tried to hide the urge to cry, hide the hurt.

"Come on Bo ask me where I was this morning?"

"No,"

"This morning you were right I was with Skylar and Ty,"

"Great. Hope you had fun," she put her glass down harder then intended readying to make her escape.

"Kenzi, Mila, Logan too,"

"Just the two can't satisfy you? Big surprise there," now she wasn't even completely aware of her response as she walked the fastest she could to the elevator without running.

"We were looking at the mess our daughter left," the ding of the elevator filled the suddenly silent house. The succubus stood froze staring down the blue light button. "This morning she escaped from the asylum with two others."

"Are—is every-"

"Everyone okay? No. Every single person that was there is dead, brutally I might add but then again what can we expect from **our** little girl."

**Sean's Loft**

_'Who are you?' _was the question he found himself asking over and over again. His dripping, drenched body laying deathly still amongst his dismayed sheets staring up at the ceiling.

It was such a simple question he use to be able to have a thousand different answers to. He was Sean Eric Alreyna the only son to Bo and Lauren. He came from a long line of heroes and he was to follow in their foot steps. He was the Prince to the Fae species and would one day eventually inherit the burden. He was the type of son who made his family proud and had unwavering values. He despite indulging occasionally in prideful, lustful things was a good man at heart. Those were his answers once.

Now he had no answer for the question. He found himself many nights just staring into the mirror trying desperately to recognize the image staring back at himself. At first it was just his appearance that seemed to change over night. No longer was he the spitting image of Lauren now he favored Bo. His once dirty blonde hair was a medium brown which was now cut shorter so he could spike it since like his mom's it had become slightly wavy. His eyes now a deep, dark brown that were extenuated by his more pronounced cheek bones and tightened jaw. At first when he was focusing on the aspect of things he would compare himself to old photos and hardly recognize himself.

The appearance change quickly seemed insignificant when he found himself changing on the inside. When the term '_I don't recognize myself_' began including his thoughts, his actions and his motivations. He found himself transitioning from an even tempered man to a short fused one. An incubus who hardly ever felt hunger to having a near insatiable appetite. Turning from a man who used violence as a last resort into one who was often looking for one. A man who's stomach use to turn at carnage was now excited by it.

These waves came in spells for him. After he'd wake up and eventually remember who he was, some occurrences through his day would set them off but he found himself still holding some resemblance of control. Though with each passing day he found himself losing control just a little bit more. Found himself losing himself just a little more.

**Lauren's Loft**

Sighing she tossed the repulsive photos onto the floor, grabbing an egg roll from the table. Leaning back against the corner of the couch she let her eyes adjust to the light. Her eyes instinctively went to her wife first who sat in the far corner of the couch opposite to her, her attention buried in the folder she held. Noticing Ty was stealing his own glance at Lauren her attention shifted to him fixed in a scowl. She may have had bigger things to worry about which made her have to drop the jealous wife bit but to her that didn't mean the doting pair had free reign. Unintentionally her eyes went to Skylar who was straddling a chair, her assigned reading material laid open on the floor below her.

"Can I have that?" Bo looked up over her shoulder at Kenzi, smiling she offered what was left of her egg roll earning herself a look. "I meant what your supposed to be reading."

"Oh, yeah." using her clean hand she grabbed the photos again, quickly handing them over deciding to ignore the 'supposed to be' jab. "Danni's been held for ten years she was sixteen when she—she doesn't know anyone. Doesn't know any places to hide. This is her home, with her family and friends there is no one else. We can spend the next two hours like we've spent the last two looking at what happened but it won't tell us anything. I personally think we should be looking at the guys she took with her,"

"What do you think the rest of us have been doing?" Skylar piped in not bothering to look up. "You're looking at your daughter's file because she's your daughter and you might recognize something the rest of us wouldn't,"

"Hm," it was all that came out as she had to clench her jaw not to throw an insult out. Despite already practically hating the woman she had to admit the woman was right in this case.

"The second guy she took was Jackle aka puppeteer real nasty fella. Likes to," Kenzi paused features scrunching up as she looked down at her folder. "Agh, likes to hang his victims horizontal by exactly eighteen hooks. Cut them from stem to sternum and let them bleed out. Oh and often takes a survivor of-never mind don't wanna know." slamming shut the folder before tossing it to her side hitting Logan's leg. "We never knew where he stayed or came from. So no leads there,"

"Good job," Bo whispered impressed nudging the girl's knee with her elbow an affectionate notion that only seemed to make the awkwardness grow.

"The second guy was known as Ripper,"

"Ripper? Who gives these guys their names, what's he do?"

"Kills his victims with hugs and kisses," this time Skylar looked up ready to a fight weather it be physical or verbal. "He rips em' apart, what the fuck does it sound like." her attention turned to Ty. "She use to be a privet investigator?"

"Yes **she** did," Bo barked not appreciating the approaching double team she was about to get.

"Must have not been very good,"

"Now, now children play nice." Ty warned. "This Ripper dude was caught over three decades ago he's not going to have any where to go now. The main point of this was to get a feel for what we're looking for that's it."

"Well if I knew we were just profiling I could have quit thirty minutes ago," Logan added hoping to further detour the tension.

"Profiling? Okay I'm sorry but this is getting a little much here," Bo chuckled to herself shaking her head. "Look I'm glad that you all got these little promotions and fancy new titles, really I am makes you sound all important. And I'm sure it looks great on resumes and to get dates but lets face it they were titles given to make the President of the U.S. Feel more comfortable dealing with us."

"Us?" Skylar's head crooked to the side amused. "Where have you been for the past ten years while we were putting in the blood, sweat and hard work to rebuild everything. To expand and protect everything and everyone. There is no us, Bo. There is an us," motioned with her open hand from Kenzi all the way around to herself. "And then there is a you,"

"Sweetie you're a glorified bodyguard, Logan is basically a glorified secretary right there with Mila. And Ty well he is something that makes my wife feel better having around as a security per-cation. You need a serious reality check and quick,"

"Do I now," she straightened up in her chair.

"Are you two done because if you're not you can take this some place else. The two of you want to get into a pissing match I don't really give a damn but do it on your own time away from me. I unlike the two of you care that there is a massive body count that will not stop growing until the three of these people are put back away or killed. Two of these people are two of the worst our kind has to offer, and the other is my daughter." the room fell silent as they watched Lauren stand throwing her folder down on the couch. "Excuse me," it was apparent each and every single person contemplated going after her as she vanished down the hall but none moved.


	5. Tender Tendencies

**Chapter Four : Tender Tendencies **

Her fingertips griped the thin wooden edge above her head, her bare feet firmly placed on the cool stone of the windowsill. Her body leaned forward to the point one wrong move would send her plummeting down five floors to a rather disgusting alley pavement. Staring down she watched the people passing by with a faint hint of amusement. Amusement at how not a single one of them even bothered to take a second from what she would call pathetic lives to look up. No one ever bothered to pay attention until it was too late, a consequence she felt she knew well.

Heights use to be her fear, a fear to the point where she wouldn't even go past the third step on a ladder but now she enjoyed the subtle rush she got. That's what she strives for now the subtle rushes she could find. And each year she found them harder and harder to come by. Even with the blood of her recent slaughter drying and the memory fresh she found the thrill nearly gone.

She found herself to be a more complex creature then those of her peers. She herself didn't have a signature per-say something which most psychology ramblings would say she hadn't yet found herself. They would say she was trying to find her identity but they were wrong. She knew exactly who she was, exactly what she was. And like a succubus should never limit themselves to one partner she felt a true killer should never limit themselves to one kill. Her two peers were slightly above average to her, Puppeteer more then the other since he actually took time in his kill. But still both fell short of impressing her. To her their kills were no challenge. They were simple everyday people, ninety percent of which were humans. They were single victims taken in the darkness of the night, the shelter of a society who cared nothing of these forgotten souls. She found no skill, danger or accomplishment in their kill. Though she did have a faint desire to try the Puppeteer's signature though of course she was looking forward to adding her own touches.

"Enjoying yourself?" the all too familiar masked voice appeared.

"Was,"

"I can see your playmates haven't wasted any time," she lazily looked over her shoulder for the first time paying attention to her surroundings. The screams of two separate women filling the wide open area.

"I suppose,"

"I hate to bring this up but there was a reason-."

"Relax." lazily she fell back into the abandoned warehouse the second her feet hit the floor her hips had a sway to them while she walked over to the figure. "We made the first move, and they made a move."

"Did they?"

"Of course. It was a stupid one but a move none the less. Mother's first move is as **always** to rally the troops and get as much info as possible. Lord knows my mother wouldn't do anything without knowing every little insignificant detail."

"It seems as though she has benched your brother in favor of your mother."

"Bo is back?" she stood still a smile spreading across her lips a new shine to her eyes. "And it isn't even my birthday,"

"Will it be a problem for you that your brother is sitting this out?"

"Sitting this out?" she snorted in pure disgust at the suggestion. "He's going to play just like everyone else,"

"They've yet to include him in what's happened. And even if he did word is going around that he isn't interested in much lately,"

"They just don't know how to motivate him," maneuvering herself back to the window, she sat on the ledge her mind rushing with a new excitement.

"And I'm guessing you do?"

"You have no idea,"

**Lauren's Loft**

"Hey," it was a soft and somewhat timid greet as the succubus walked into the dimly lit bedroom to find Lauren leaning up against the headboard. Her legs stretched out with her hands folded over her stomach.

"If you're looking for a repeat performance it would be highly ill-advised," despite her slightly cruel and combative words her tone held nothing but sadness. Running her pained eyes over her wife she waited for some comeback. Some insult that would justify her words but nothing came. She wanted to be insulted, wanted to fight, wanted anything that would make her forget what was happening. She wanted it so she could justify her anger and bitterness. Wanted it as a safeguard against falling into her wife's arms but there was nothing but equally pained features staring back at her.

"Do you think I'd really use this as way to have sex? Has your opinion of me become that low,"

"That's the problem Bo I can't have an opinion of you if I don't know you anymore."

"Well that makes two of us," she bit her tongue catching herself, softening her tone she went on. "I just wanted to see how you were. We're all still out there looking through everything,"

"And you haven't tried to kill anyone yet, surprising."

"I've thought about it," nodding dismissing herself she turned around hand falling to the doorknob. "This is hard for me too,"

"I'm not doing this now Bo," a new harshness making itself known. "I cannot have **this** discussion about us **now**,"

"Neither am I," hesitantly she turned back around. "I'm just letting you know that this is hard for me too. Yeah maybe it was stupid to think I'd come back and life would have waited for me. That life would be the same as I left it only with all the dings nicely pounded out. I had this stupid fantasy that I'd come back and we'd just pick up and ride off into the sunset-or some cheesy bullshit. I didn't expect to find **this**. I didn't expect you to be okay without me," her last sentence dropping to a whisper.

"Bo,"

"And now with Danni-I don't know how to be, and I sure as hell don't know how to feel is all I'm trying to say. I know this is hard on you too I realize that I do but I need you to know that it is on me too,"

"This is my fault,"

"What?" genuinely shocked of all the responses she was expecting that was not one of them.

"Danielle she should have been-I should have-," Bo felt her heart sink. She knew what the rest of that sentence was, knew it all too well since she herself had thought about it. Swallowing the lump in her throat she made her way to the bed taking a seat next to her wife on the very small amount of unoccupied mattress. "But I put her in the asylum and now,"

"That was our decision. You can't blame yourself for that,"

"I saw her. I saw what she was and I couldn't do it. There was something inside her that awoke, some switch that shut off and unleashed something. I saw it first hand Bo, you think the bit you saw was bad?" shaking her head trying to fight off building tears. "That wasn't our little girl anymore, I looked in her eyes and saw nothing,"

"There was nothing you could have done,"

"I could have. All I had to do was twist my wrist. I shoved that blade into her stomach and I wanted to do it, I knew I had to but I couldn't. A simple twist of my wrist and this wouldn't be happening,"

"Lauren she's our daughter no one could expect any more then what you did. I couldn't have done it either,"

"You do what needs to be done, you always have. When it comes to relationships and day to day life you may have the emotional maturity of a toddler. But when it comes to things like that you make the hard choices, you do what has to be done and I couldn't. I shoved that blade in-looked her in the eyes as I did it and I saw nothing. No pain or hurt. No relief or anger there was just nothing. If I would have finished it then none of this would be happening and she would be-free."

"You need to stop this, this isn't your fault," her words somewhat desperate as she watched her wife slowly breaking in front of her.

"Three hundred mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters—children won't be going home tonight or ever again. Three hundred good people, Fae and human won't be going home, won't be able to do anything ever again. Three hundred people are dead because I couldn't save my daughter. Death was how I needed to save her. Not locking her in some padded cell for an eternity only making her rage grow deeper." tears freely falling she tried sliding down the mattress past her wife. Bo reacting fast enough was able to pull her to a halt, her arm reaching out and wrapping around the woman's stomach. "If I killed her in that moment that would have meant I failed **again **and I couldn't admit it. I couldn't see that killing her would have been freeing her not failing. I wanted to fix her—I knew I couldn't but I lied to myself like I always do and now-"

"I couldn't have killed her Lauren," her trembling hand cupping her wife's moist cheek forcing her to look at her rather then the door. "I could not have killed our daughter anymore then I could have killed you that night,"

"You should have,"

"We should have done a lot of things long before that night. There were so many times we could have-should have just stopped and started over. There were so many chances and **we** missed them. **We **failed. What's happening now isn't your fault, not yours alone. I bear just as much responsibility as you if not more,"

"Bo," her broken whisper muffled by the way she leaned into the comfort eyes closing at the all too familiar touch.

"No matter whats going on with us, no matter if there even is an us anymore I promise you I will be by your side through this. We will get through this,"

"Will **we**?" her eyes flew open her face no longer embracing the touch. Her voice filled with nothing other then skepticism and doubt.

**Living Room**

"What do you think is going on in there?"

"Relax if Lauren was putting it down we'd be able to hear," Ty answered with a smirk though not really paying to much attention as his mind began to wonder what exactly was happening in there.

"I can vouch for that," Kenzi chirped in annoyance dripping from her words as she threw her folder onto the table with a thud.

"Maybe I should make sure she is okay,"

"Skylar chill, get another folder or something you're irritating me." the King huffed his own annoyance quickly growing.

**Bedroom 2 Hours Later**

Bo's eyes shifted from the little black clock on the nightstand before looking back down at Lauren who laid as close to the edge opposite her as possible. Her back facing her with her face buried into the pillow though it didn't matter every so often the succubus could hear faint cries escaping. Despite how many times the woman told her to leave, that she wanted to be alone sticking to her stubborn ways she stood her ground. The logical half of herself told her she should be out there with the rest of them searching for something, anything that would help find Danni and the others. But the other half, the less logical half couldn't bear the thought of leaving her wife like this so near the verge of breaking. Sighing she slid off the bed making her way around to the other side, kneeling down.

"Lauren please just talk to me, you can even yell if you want." the blonde just scowled the best she could with half of her face still in the pillow. "You know how stubborn I can be. I can do this all night if I have to so you might as well just give in," the succubus' playful smirk retreated noticing a change in her wife.

"Give in?" she snorted, jaw clenching. "Give in to you? Well why not that's what I always use to do isn't it?"

"What?"

"Come on Bo sit here and pretend you've changed. Tell me how we're in this together some more. Tell me you love me and I'm the only one you want," abruptly she sat up making the near dumbfounded succubus stand. "Tell me some more lies Bo, because it's what your good at. You tell me everything I want to hear, everything I need to hear and once I give in—well we know what happens then don't we,"

"La-Lauren I can't take back what I did,"

"Would you?" she was now standing at the edge of the bed features void of any readable emotion unlike her voice.

"Yes,"

"Bullshit. You wanted to get away from everything and you did. Be honest for once you wouldn't take it back,"

"I would," this time it was her own tone that grew harsh.

"You're **still** such a liar,"

"What do you want to hear? That I enjoyed being free? Yes I did. I enjoyed losing myself in a fun, easy, uncomplicated, unfaithful, near moral-less life. I learned more about myself then I ever wanted to know. I learned just how dark and depraved I could be. But once it was over and I found myself standing there looking at my life, looking at myself I realized that it wasn't for me. It wasn't who I really was,"

"And who would that be? Over the years I've known so many **yous**. Over the years I've heard so many similar speeches and each time I bite and then you take me down this hole with you."

'What does that mean?" now trying to keep an even balance between her anger and hurt she came around the bed to come face to face with her wife.

"It means when you and me are good we are amazing. When we're good there is nothing more satisfying, it's pure euphoria. But when we're bad it's like a war, it turns into our own personal hell. Each time it happens we get deeper and deeper and find new ways to hurt one another."

"I'm sorry I didn't realize being with me was hell," her voice broke on nearly every word a surge of pain shooting through her heart.

"It can be,"

"Well," it was all she could get out with out letting herself break.

"You make me weak. Before you the things I went through-I kept my head high and didn't break. But when I'm with you? God I just give everything I have to you and blindly trust that you'll protect me from whatever the world throws. I give you that much control over me no matter how many times you prove that you won't be there."

"I see,"

"I know you've thought it."

"No! No I've never knew I was such a painful burden for you,"

"No but you've thought I've made you weak. I know I do, I know I can make you doubt yourself. Make you throw logic and caution to the wind. I know that I made you weak enough to make some very questionable choices ten years ago,"

"That's what being in love is! Love isn't logical it's emotion. It's pure heart! Sometimes it breaks you until you are nothing but slivers of yourself but it can rebuild and make you so much stronger then you ever were."

"You're right as many times as you've broken me you've saved me just as many," she spoke after a long pause. "And if it were just us, if things were easier I would without a doubt throw caution away and let the pieces fall where they would. But it's not just us and things aren't easy-" she swallowed back her own tears, her mind telling her just a few more seconds and Bo would be gone and she could break. Her stomach twisted with each pulse of pain that spread through her. "I can't afford to be weak now,"

"We've got a problem," the two reluctantly turned from each other to the intruding voice finding Kenzi standing in the door way. Kenzi's eyes fell on the ruffled sheets to the equally ruffled women, her eyes narrowing. "Something we should probably take care of if you're not too busy," her tone no longer full of annoyance or irritation but a faint hint of anger. Her eyes locked on Lauren who now refused to meet the younger woman's gaze something Bo didn't notice.


	6. Welcome To The Game

A.N. Just wanted to take a quick moment to once again thank everyone who has been taking the time to read, follow and fave. And of course for all of your passionate, thoughtful and indepth reviews I love them. Good, bad, in between it's always nice to know how you're feeling about the direction of the story. I will most likely have one or two more updates this week and then a short break considering I am still trying to find a beta. Hope everyone is well and enjoying the b-ball playoffs :)

**Chapter Five: Welcome To The Game**

Lauren stood in the middle of the Ayon Hotel the most luxurious hotel in the country. Hands shoved deep in her jacket pockets as she stared down ambiguously at the gray, plastic tubs at her feet. Two rows of five. Shifting her attention she looked around seeing to many guards to count blocking exits and the elevators, others escorting the staff somewhere away from them. She could feel Bo behind her to her left but neither had spoken since they left her loft and it wasn't about to change now. Ty stood across from her on the other side of them looking them over as if that would change the contents. Kenzi and Skylar stood to her right awaiting an order.

"And we're sure this is it?"

"One for each human leader and an extra one probably for Speaker Agathon," Skylar answered lightly kicking the tub closest to her.

"Do they know?"

"No, our security detail caught it before it even got past the lobby. And now they are all being kept in there rooms due to," Kenzi paused features crunching. "Well I don't know what they told em' but they don't know it's** this**,"

"i don't need this," Lauren whispered to herself exhaling. "Open the one that doesn't have a name," she ordered noticing how nine of them each had a human leader's name while a single one presumably for the President's Speaker of House Connor Agathon. Ty being the closest nodded hesitantly before pulling the lid off and tossing it onto the floor.

"Wasn't for him," trying not to make a face he reached down and pulled a single white envelope from the tub. Holding it up there was two things that grabbed her attention, the first being how there was various blood smudges near the corners. The second being a single word written across it, _'Mommy,_'

Passing the letter down from himself to Skylar, to Kenzi before it reached Lauren. Opening it up despite everything in her that told her not to she let the now empty envelope float the ground.

_'Baby, Baby if he hears you_

_as he gallops past the house_

_Limb from limb he'll tear you _

_just as a pussy tears a mouse,'_

_I never could get you to play with me as a child._

_Can I now?_

_Love,_

_your darling daughter _

"It's an old nursery rhyme," Lauren handed the paper to Bo since Kenzi and Skylar had bunched close enough to her to read it at the same time.

"What kinda fucked up shit were you reading to that kid?" Skylar glared over at Bo.

"Never read it to her," sighing Lauren leaned down pulling the lid off another tub, and then the next until she had the three directly in front of her open. One after another the contents the same. Five separate pieces which consisted of two legs, two arms and one torso with no head.

"Well you wanted to know what the Ripper did," Skylar whispered in a chuckle as she threw her arm over Bo's shoulder. "This clear enough for you?" subtly she threw her elbow back delivering a light hit to the antagonizing woman's ribs. Turning around her features dark and tense unlike Skylar's who had an amused and challenging tone to them.

"Touch me again and the fact that you're my wife's pet won't matter,"

"Children," Ty called out though his tone sounded somewhat playful his look said different. His eyes leading their attention to Lauren who just stood frozen looking down at the containers now all of which were open.

**Sean's Loft**

His clouded mind drifted to a muddled consciousness but his heavy eyelids remained shut. His open palms closed to fists taking the sheet with them. Forcing his breaths to be long and deep rather then short and erratic. His heart pounding so hard he was sure if it were possible it would have pounded right through his chest. His ears picked up the quiet patter of footsteps a weak smile coming over his lips as he felt a light weight slide onto him straddling his hips.

"Thought you'd be gone by now," his hands slid up the woman's legs to her hips.

"Hm," was the only response he got as the weight shifted pressing against him more, soft lips lightly pressing to his. It was only a second, just a graze but something was off. Eyes shooting open on instinct he through the woman back just hard enough that she landed off the bed but not hard enough to knock her off her feet.

"What the fuck?" he jumped off the bed the sheet coming along, almost tripping over it as it wrapped around his feet.

"Always knew you had a thing for me," she couldn't help the belly aching laughs that were escaping her. Shaking her head she covered her mouth a halfhearted attempt at calming herself.

"I'm dreaming,"

"You dream of me? How pathetically sweet," almost skipping she came around the end of the bed. Her eyes followed his to the kitchen table on the far end of the loft.

"What do you want?"

"Well they let me out on bad behavior so I figured I'd drop in to see how my big brother was," again she followed his line of sight to his nightstand where a small knife laid. She couldn't help but smile, a trick Bo had taught them when they had turned ten. "Go ahead. No really Sean go ahead." assuring him as she took three prowling steps toward him. "Come on don't be a pussy," this along with her next four steps were enough for him to grab it. "Half way there. Now come on," she took one last step now within arms length. Though her hands stayed low she held her arms out from her body just waiting. "Lets go I don't have all day."

"You need to leave,"

"I need to leave? I need to leave? This boy," she laughed looking to her left as though she was speaking to someone. "Fine," with that she lunged at him arms wrapping around his neck, forehead resting against his chest. For a good fifteen seconds neither spoke, neither moved. But on the sixteenth second a soulless laugh filled the air, her hands gripping his shoulders as she pulled back slowly. "Was that good for you?" smirking she pulled the knife from her stomach before dropping it at his feet. Sliding behind him to the single window she held the frame while maneuvering herself onto the windowsill. "You better strap on a pair boy, we're just getting started." he reached out to grab her but wasn't fast enough as she pushed herself trough the glass. Leaning out of the now glassless window he saw his sister land on her back within seconds jump to her feet and run off into the darkness.

"What the fuck was that," he let out to himself running his hand through his hair stepping back into the room. He looked around his room repeatedly as if it would change, as if he wasn't awake and this was just another dream.

**Lauren's Loft**

"I could have gone without ever seeing that," Bo let out rubbing the back of her own neck, the elevator doors beginning to pull apart. "Sean," she stopped short making her wife run into her.

"Mom," he coldly greeted from his position on the couch, his eyes shifting to Lauren who was now maneuvering past the succubus. "How was your day?"

"It's been long we have a slight issue-"

"Really? You don't say," he stood up his grin masking his anger.

"Are you okay?" Bo cut in but this time was completely ignored.

"Danni is out,"

"I was going to tell you I promise we just ran into an issue," Lauren's voice remained soft and apologetic despite how harsh his was growing. "Who told you?"

"No one had to she decided to deliver the message personally,"

"Are you okay?" his mothers asked in union.

"Let me tell you the professional help? Not helping so much,"

"Are you okay?" Lauren asked this time more of a demand then anything.

"No I'm not fucking okay,"

"Watch your mouth," Bo barked.

"I'm sorry are you trying to be a parent right now? Is that what's happening right now? Thanks but no," turning back to Lauren. "She molested me, stabbed herself and then fell out of my window." the two women stayed very still and quite. Bo being the first to crack a smirk while Lauren's brow just raised. "This isn't a joke,"

"I think it's just the way you said it honey," Lauren tried to smooth the tension placing a hand on his arm.

"What other way is there to say it? She climbed on me and kissed me, then stabbed herself before she threw herself out of my window. I don't know any other way to say it," suddenly the situation didn't have the faint hint of humor to it. "What does she want?"

"I don't know,"

"It's probably you," he moved from his mother's touch to standing toe to toe with Bo. "Think it's kind of weird you decide just to show up and then boom, what do you know Danni is out running a muck."

"You think I came back to help her escape?"

"I don't know mom, don't know much about you anymore."

"Sean that's enough," Lauren interjected.

"You don't either," he turned to the blonde his face a mixture of pain and anger a sentiment she knew all too well especially on the shared subject. "Do you? If she were anyone else you'd be wondering the same thing, don't tell me you wouldn't."

"That is enough. You have your issues with your mother that's fine, but do not let them cloud your judgment and lead you into foolish thinking. You're too smart for that. Your mom maybe many things but she is not evil nor a killer,"

"Then your memories are clouded mother," Lauren reached for him once again as he pushed past the two of them. Preventing her from going after him she found Bo's hand going to her shoulder.

"Better then I was expecting," Bo let out once she heard the elevator close.

"He's just angry." pulling away from her wife's touch. "You can stay on the couch tonight if you want,"

"No it's fine," the succubus answered on instinct no longer wanting to feel like an overstayed, unwelcome guest that was until she realized there was a subtle plea behind the offer. "On second thought," Lauren didn't turn around at the words, but grind to herself as she went down the hall.

Stepping into her room her body froze her senses screaming that some else was there or at the very least had been very recently. Keeping her feet planted firm in the doorway her eyes scanned the darkest corners of her room, peering into the bathroom the best she could without moving. Despite her home being a pit-stop for a decent amount of people those who ever entered her room were a small few. A small few that never differed with the exception of her wife within the past twenty-four hours. Though despite it being ten years she still knew the succubus' aura and this difference was not Bo's. Feeling secure enough she walked over to the bed on the nightstand laid a small, folded paper next to a lit candle.

_'Here comes a candle to light you to bed_

_Here comes a chopper to chop of your head.'_

_Sweet dreams mommy,_

Swallowing back the bitter taste that filled her mouth she sat on the edge of her bed eyes focused on the words reading them over and over. She knew what her daughter was doing, what she was trying to prove. When she would have to tell them all tomorrow about it she was to say she knew these things, had ideas of what Danni was trying to do with these little appearances because of her years of study. But the fact was what she knew had nothing to do with her years of study. No it was far more then that. She knew what Danni was doing, knew what she was after because for a brief while she had allowed herself to slip into that darkness. A darkness that was a special bond between the two of them. A darkness that allowed no mercy, pity or compassion. A darkness that allowed no hope or forgiveness. A darkness that turned love into something twisted. Obsession and lust replaced attraction and desire. No matter how much Bo could slip she never came down to that level. Something that made her believe she would never fully understand her guilt for her failure.

Letting her eyes shut her hand gripped the paper tighter till she could her it crinkle in her hand. She wished with every ounce of her being she could erase it all. Everything she had done, everything she had let happen. Her words, her actions, her inaction there wasn't a thing she didn't wish she could go back and undo. Sometimes she even wished she had died. Not just when Bo failed to do it that night but there were so many times when she could have, when she should have. Sometimes she wished that it was all over even now but wishes meant nothing. Wishes were for fools who still held some resemblance of innocence and that was not her. She believe her and innocence even in the same sentence was laughable.

Besides this was her punishment, this was her own personal hell. Dying was the easy, peaceful way living on the other hand was the bitch. She was sure she'd somehow out live everyone she cared about and then some. Living was her punishment to see everyone she cared about die. To watch the world slowly crumble away no matter how hard she tried to stop it. To watch horrible event after horrible event and know that she played a role in it. Every death that happened because of these three was her fault, her blame to bare. The reluctance from the humans which was causing irreversible tension between the two species, every life lost because of that was her's to bare as well.

Even with all of her knowledge and real world experience she never could understand how there was such a difference between her humanity driven half, and the other side of herself. Normally she was was so introverted and she knew it. She would take blame from things she didn't need to while apologizing for things she never even did. More times then not she would shy away from a fight and when one couldn't be avoided she would back down. She was despite a cool, clinical front a highly sensitive woman. Yet her other half was anything but. The other half of her took pleasure in the conflict, enjoyed the challenge and refused to back down. That half was sexual, outgoing and certainly unapologetic for anything. Not that she could ever stomach contemplating it for long but even through all the years never did she have an answer how two completely different entities could live in one. But the question that she really wanted to ask but never could was, which was the real her.

There was no denying now that this was who Danielle was. This wasn't something that was done to her or she was tricked into. This wasn't a mistake or a failure in parenting this was simply what she was. She was born a killer. In the beginning when she still attempted to visit the girl she tried to remember every moment of their past. Every birthday party to bedtime story and the more she did the more she saw there was something different in the girl. But then again no parent wants to see the flaws in their child let alone the signs that they could turn out to be a mass murderer. Then again she had to admit she was never around enough to really be the expert.

'What are you doing?" Bo whispered sleepily from the door way, her eyes at half mass, her shoulder leaning against the frame. Looking at her wife curiously she looked to the nightstand where the candle was now over half way gone. Somewhat startled she looked over her shoulder to the clock. Shaking her head realizing she had been sitting there wallowing in self pity for hours. "What's that," she asked through a yawn.

"Your daughter proving a point,"

"What?' lazily the succubus made her way to the bed plopping down beside her. "Shes got a skill for being morbid doesn't she," she let out taking the paper though her mind no where near full consciousness it wasn't hard to tell what had happened.

"That's one way of looking at it,"

"There's more then one way?"

"Yeah. She's proving a point she can do whatever she wants, when she wants and we can't do a damn thing about it. Shes using nursery rhymes to make a point that I wasn't there, that this is what it's about."

"Hm," the succubus' brow tighten before dropping the paper to the ground. "You're probably right like you usually are. But that doesn't mean anything. She's playing games Lauren and you can apply whatever fancy idea that amazing brain of yours can come up with but to me you know what it says. It says that she is afraid to face us. She wants to use excerpts from the worlds creepiest children rhymes to make her point that you worked a lot when she was growing up. To me all that says is she is still the same immature, brat dealing with mommy issues at twenty seven years old."

"Woke on the wrong side of the couch?" it was a settle attempt at smoothing things between them but it fell flat. Bo's features slowly transitioning from concerned to annoyed.

"Well it's obvious my job is done," standing suddenly feeling stupid for even stopping to make sure the woman was okay.

"Do you really want to leave?" Lauren's near inaudible whisper was enough to pull her to a stop half way between the bed and the door but not enough to get her to turn. "Do you?" still a whisper but firmer this time.

"What is this Lauren, this afternoon you can't get out how shitty I am quick enough and now-" against her better judgment she turned to the woman. "Now what?"

"Honestly I don't know," she let out ashamed. "I meant every word I said and so many I didn't,"

"Can't wait for that argument,"

"For as many faults as I find in you I find just as many benefits,"

"Be still my heart," her arms folded over her chest.

"You make me weaker then I've ever been before but you make me stronger too. I hate what you've done to me yet like a puppy I can't wait to be back at your side. You're my drug of choice Bo," her voice like her eyes full of pain as she just stared up at the succubus. "I am lost but you're the only one who has ever been able to find me. I hate you more then anyone I've ever met but I love you more then I knew possible. I love you so much that it's sick, it probably borders obsession. It's been ten years since you ran and left me alone. But there wasn't a single day that I didn't think of you. Not a single day I didn't long for your touch, for your kiss, your embrace. Not a day where I didn't crave you. Not a day where I didn't need you."

"Lauren,"

"Is that honest enough for you,"

Bo didn't answer only walked over to the woman taking reluctant hands in her own and pulling her up. Truthfully she didn't know what to say never had the truth been so hurtful yet so touching. So disturbing yet so flattering. It was true though she herself felt similarly and if she had been the one to say it allowed it would have probably came out a bit more hurtful and a tad more disturbing. She had no problem admitting she had a harmless obsession with her wife, she always had it from the moment they met. Lauren on the other hand seemed to fear it, seemed to disown it and that was what made her timid in expressing herself. She wanted to sit her stubborn wife down and tell her the truth in everything. Once and for all bare her soul dark parts and light alike and let the pieces fall where they may. But the more time continued to pass the more her fear grew. This woman before her was different in so many ways that occasionally she found herself wondering if she still knew her at all. Was this still the woman who took her by the hand and said she trusted her when there was no reason? Was this still the woman who accepted everything without a hesitation?

Sighing her hands slid to the back of Lauren's neck drawing her head down the small distance. Hesitance radiated off both of them in new levels yet neither found themselves pulling away just yet. Bo's tongue traced the outline of the blonde's lips seductively asking permission without saying a word. Instead of permission she found her wife tilting her head back the uncertainty and fear in each others eyes reflected.

"I love you," those words never sounded so full of pain.

"Not as much as I love you," it wasn't a challenge of any kind or just one of those endearing things you say to your lover. No the succubus was convinced beyond a doubt that those words were as much of a fact as she needed air to breath.

Staring each other down in the way only they could do, a stare that had become like foreplay to them. They both knew the look, they both knew without a doubt what would happen but it was a matter of who would give first. Who would be the one to break. This being the one and only occasion where their breaking was a sweet victory for both parties.


	7. Don't Speak

**Chapter Six : Don't Speak**

"Mm," was the sleep filled, gleeful noise that filled the room as the succubus' stretched her arms lazily across the bed. Her heavy eyes shot open at the feel of an once again empty bed. Almost immediately her eyes locked on her wife's a wave of relief washing over her, a lazily smile emerging. "There is defiantly no place like home," her whisper masked by the sound of ruffling sheets as she slid from the bed. "You look beautiful," coming up behind her wife her hands slid around her waist, lips lightly grazing the back of her bare shoulder.

"Th-thank you,"

"You're very," lightly nipping at the previously kissed area. "very welcome,"

"I should get dressed,"

"But why?" her voice had a whine to it as she skillfully maneuvered the woman around to face her. "I know we have a lot of stuff and issues believe me I know but," pausing she tugged the shirt from her wife's hand and tossed it back onto the bed all in one swift motion. "Can't we just stay for a little bit?"

"Bo,"

"Come on," her features fixed in an unmistakeable pout. "Pweeessse,"

"Bo," repeating the woman's name her eyes dropping to her wife's hands that were still resting comfortably on her hips. "I think—i think that,"

"No," pout turning to heartbreak she just shook her head unable to move realizing what was about to happen. Realizing why yet again she woke in an empty bed. Why Lauren had been rushing to get dressed. Why she had seemed so tense to every affectionate touch and word. "Don't. Please just don't,"

"Bo," a broken whisper of her name accompanied by an uneasy cupping of her wrists told her all she need to know. "I-"

"Don't," leaning in her lips lightly grazing her wife's. "Don't speak," and again. "Please just don't,"

"I'm sorry,"

"Yeah," swallowing back her pain she held still forehead pressed against her wife's, lips only slivers apart. It was so close, it was always so close for them yet she never could seem to hold onto it. "You're always sorry," pulling back slowly her voice void of any tenderness that had been lingering.

"Bo,"

"Stop! Stop saying my name," taking a step away pulling her hands free, her eyes locking on Lauren's wedding ring as she did. Ironically this had been the first real time through everything she realized the woman had been wearing it yet at the moment it seemed to mean less then nothing. Snorting as a vile taste began filling her mouth. "Tell me Lauren does that even have any meaning anymore or," reaching out sliding her index finger under the gold crucifix just studying if for the moment. "Is it just another accessory in this game you're playing," pulling her hand away her face now resembling the taste she couldn't shake. "Another one of Kenzi's helpful tips. You can't divorce me and the whole world knows you're married so better keep it on."

"Stop,"

"Adds that final missing touch to the abandoned spouse role you've been playing," making her way back around the bed finding her once disregarded clothing. "Tell me though how do you get away with playing with Chocolate Tarzan and Steroid Xena?"

"Still as petulant as ever," gritting her teeth she finally moved swooping up her shirt.

"Seriously though what is this? Was this you're pay back screw me and leave me. The oh wait lets do it again just for good measure. That way you can run back to your little friends and tell them how I fell for it not once but twice."

"Bo there isn't a single person who has EVER needed to trick you into bed you just kind of fall there, spread your legs and wait for whatever breezes on by," the succubus' couldn't help the way her jaw dropped and eyes widened at her wife's multi-blow comment.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Is that so?!"

"Yeah,"

"Funny since," forced to pause she pulled her shirt back off realizing she had put in on inside out the first try. "I remember our first time being on some untruthful terms. And I am no genius as you make sure to remind me, but if my high school educated self remembers correctly. To earn something on untruthful terms is tricking. Tricking is plural for trick."

"You want to bring that up? Really? Okay, well if we're going to be technical then my motives of wanting to keep you safe were kept hidden at the time of the act so I guess yes one way to look at it would be as such. But I didn't need to do anything or say anything to get you to swoop me off to your bed. So I don't think that really counts. Oh and by the way excellent technique at dumbing down the definition of tricking."

"Thank you. May I complement your technique of creating the worlds longest and most boring explanations."

"There was a time you enjoyed my long explanations," slamming down her hair brush forcing her eyes to drop down to the dresser unable to look at herself in the mirror.

"There was a time when you had heart," Bo stopped herself realizing she had gone to far, she had let the situation fall into a place it hadn't needed to go. Inhaling her lips parted,

"Must have been around the same time you remember how to keep your legs shut," turning around leaning against the dresser her hands holding onto the ledge on either side. Her face as void of emotions as one could appear.

'Well we all suffered losses, my loyalty your sanity. I went on a whoring spree you went on a killing spree but then again who's keeping track."

"Get. Out. Of. **My**. House."

"Gladly," storming to the door pulling it so hard it swung into the dresser with a thud so loud she was sure one if not both had been cracked. She got three fourths down the hall before spinning around her body trembling with anger, eyes glassy. "You were right. I make you weak but you—you make me pathetic!"

"Hm," was all she could force out as she walked up into the hall but kept a safe distance from the succubus.

"I am a succubus! A fighter! I am a muthafucking badass! And you—you have me turned into some-"

"Bo the-"

"Shut up! You got to have your whole 'you make me weak' speech," her features scrunching as she raised her pitch mockingly mimicking Lauren. "You turn me into some pet. I get around you and I put you ahead of everything. I bend and bend and bend for you but you're never happy unless I break for you. And God help me I do. I break for you over and over and over again until I don't think I can and then a break for you some more. I do it all with a smile. I see how things will turn out, I see how they're going but if it pleases you then it doesn't matter. I would go to hell and back for you. I have!"

"Bo," she repeated with more conviction taking a step forward.

"I have saved the world. More then once! I have taken down some of the worst this messed up excuse for a world has to offer. But for you I fall to my knees like pussy-whiped, school girl who knows no better. I am a masochist and **you** are **my** drug of choice. And you are never shy of supplying me."

"Are you done?" her voice trembled like her hands that she held close to her body.

"I am not a puppy any more! I am not some tiny, fluffy puppy. I—I am a Rottweiler! Understand." unable to take any more of this she spun around with the intention of breaking records as she made it to the elevator but instead found a wall of on lookers. Ty, Skylar and Kenzi all standing in a row by the windows, eyes glued to them. Each with a harsh near rage filled expression, each for their own reasons. "Fuck." she let out softer then she had been since she awoke. Running her hand through her messy hair she looked between the three and Lauren who had an infuriated 'I tried to tell you' look. "You know what fuck it. Kenz you've seen me worse and you two I don't give a shit about," shrugging she coolly chuckled to herself. "Who is it? Which one of them?" she turned back to face Lauren as she rose her hand gesturing toward the three although she was really only including two of them in the question.

"Let it go,"

"Come on one of them is why you're so conflicted isn't it? I know you Lauren," she turned back to the three walking closer making Lauren do the same. "You Mr. Clean?" her eyes shifted to Skylar who unlike Ty was finding no amusement in the situation. "Reject Barbie?"

"As much as I find your little meltdown pleasing for so many reasons playtime is over, the adults have work to do." Skylar used her forearm pushing it into Bo's chest slamming her into the wall as she tried to pass underestimating the succubus' strength as she didn't make it but a step past. Though both underestimated Lauren who seemed to appear out of nowhere in between the two a hand firmly on both of their chest holding them to opposite walls.

"This is our business. Our issues. Our Fight. And you," she let out staring down Bo before turning to Skylar who had an overly cocky smirk plastered across her face. "touch my wife again and she will be the least of your worries." the four found themselves staring at Lauren with a new disbelief again each of their reasons being their own.

**Sanctum**

Trying to push the past thirty or so hours from her mind she pushed through the Sanctum's doors. She normally laughed every time she thought of the name of this place that was anything but a sanctum. In her mind they should have named it the Gladiator Pit but then again it didn't have the mysterious, sophisticated ring to it. Still too hyped, too angry, to hurt too let her body stay in one place for long let alone relax she came to her designated desk and leaned upon it. Ty on her right while Logan and Mila stood to her left. This unlike most meetings was missing a number of Leaders.

Sighing to herself she spotted Connor Agathon, President Montgomery's Speaker of the House though it was an unspoken truth he was the Vice President and the only person who was a bigger pain in the ass then the President herself. From the darken corner of the room he emerged with his usual 'shit-don't-stick' swagger that never seemed to falter. Standing at five foot ten with a muscular yet smaller build then every male in the room. Most would have tread the water carefully but not him, no he acted as he own the room and not a single being could touch him. Would it not physically hurt her to say, she would agree with most of the female population that he was the original bad boy with off the chart sex-appeal. Unlike the rest of them he chose gym-shoes to go with his dress pants and open jacket though his shirt was a v-cut white tee. His black hair while kept up with more products then she used and a more expensive cut was spiked and shiny. His perfectly manicured five o'clock shadow adding the final touches to his rebel look. To her he looked as though he should be out trying to pick up girls much to young the himself rather then trying to run her politics but then again that was just her opinion.

Taking her eyes from the two American representatives she took attendance. England, China and Russia.

"Four out of nine? Have you decided the council only needs to consist of those you prefer?"

"Not everyone shared our concerns, Queen" Connor spoke his subtle Irish accent only seeming to add to his smugness. "I myself told madam President that if there was some issue happening you would of course follow the guidelines and inform us."

"And they say the American education system is failing,"

"Meaning what exactly?" President Montgomery stood.

"Hm I can see it's success and failures are on a student to student basis." Connor tilted his head away from his superior unable to stop a growing smirk at Lauren's dig.

"If there is something going on then you are required to tell us,"

"Speaking of these guidelines you keep mentioning this is an illegal meeting without ALL ten members of this council. Meaning that this is a meeting in which holds no real value and since it holds no real value or consequences lets throw the pleasantries aside. If you have a question ask it otherwise I have much more important matters to attend."

"And those matters would be?"

"My personal life is no concern of yours unless you would like to share how your divorce is proceeding and how your son's rehab is coming along. This is his—fourth time in now?"

"Proceeding rather well and yes his completion date is next month. How is your daughter still in the padded cell or has the rapid shock treatments been working?" Lauren's jaw clenched fists balling similar to Ty and Mila's reaction. "Sweetheart you don't get to where I am today without being able to take a few low blows. I've had them delivered by heavy weights, you well your still at the welter weight. You had the hotel shut down for three hours last night. No one in or out not even their rooms."

"Point being?"

"Point being I want to know why?"

"And people in hell want ice water but you don't see that happening do you?" taking a breath and a much needed moment of celerity she began to remember the repercussions if she pushed this to far. Unofficial or not she was still the Queen and this woman was still the President and most times seemingly the leader of the human race. "But since you've asked so nicely, it was for your safety of course. There was no issue I have them sweep the hotel every night you're there. Mrs. Tsoni has recently done some movement within the security aspect of things and it appears the new recipient of a promotion is a bit over zealous. I apologize wholeheartedly for the inconvenience and will not happen again,"

"I see,"

"Now if you excuse me I must be going," her three escorts had already made it to the door when his words caught them.

"I heard a rumor there was a disturbance at the asylum,"

"Pure fabrication." she turned to face him with the best political smile she could force.

"And if myself and madam President wanted to-"

"Visit? Not a problem although I am growing tired of the constant implications that I am a liar." nodding politely afraid if she continued talking she would say something she'd regret.

**Sean's Loft**

"You," was all he said when he pulled his door open.

"Are you going to make me stand out here or invite me in,"

"Sure. Welcome," he glared as he took a step back opening the door further, extending his hand out toward his apartment.

"You are your mother's son. Same angry expression, passive aggressive politeness and everything,"

"Well that happens when your around a parent a significant amount of time."

Bo ignored the dig as she looked over his apartment after all this was the first time she was ever seeing it. It was only half of the size their home was in reality she would call it more of a studio then a loft but it seemed that his decor might have had something to do with that. Far right corner of the room his bed, nightstand and a few feet over the window that was now taped up with plastic and duck tape. Then nothing for a thirty or so feet where a table was opposite his island kitchen. Looking behind herself in the corner opposite the bed a worn heavy bag and some mats on the floor. And a good enough distance between the door and the bag an overly large television fastened into the wall. In a way it reminded her of her and Kenzi's first apartment though she thought he was trying a little to hard to go for the rugged, broody, bad boy thing.

"I figured they would have had someone here last night to fix that,"

"I didn't report it."

"You'll catch a cold, the temperature is starting to drop."

"Is It? Gee thanks it's not like I live here for the past twenty eight years." disappearing into the kitchen reemerging seconds later with a beer in each hand. "Breakfast for champions,"

"It's lunch time," taking it she watched him step away from her his eyes focusing in on her, sizing her up had he been anyone other then her son she'd have been preparing for a fight.

"Same shit,"

"So you two drink more now, swear more now anything else you do?"

"I was eighteen when you left, twenty eight now what did you think I was gonna be a priest?"

"Mm, got the confrontational thing going for you too." taking a swig and then another deciding she wasn't drinking fast enough for this day.

"Well when you have a wife and mother who abandons you, tends to make you slightly agitated."

"You're her son not her personal attack dog Sean,"

"There a difference?" he smirked behind the rim of his already half empty bottle.

"I understand your loyalty to Lauren, I understand being upset. I've made mistakes but I did try and stay in contact with you."

"You're my mother there should be no try in that sentence. You didn't love mother anymore, didn't wanna be with her anymore cool. You needed a week to just chill and get your mind right cool. But after what went down you went around telling lies like they was going outta style and then poof you're gone never to be heard of again. I know, I know," he held his free hand out shaking his head. "You sent your wife an e-mail asking for some free pass. And me? Well I got b-day cards and a couple calls that turned to a couple e-mails that turned into nothing."

"It wasn't about loving your mother or wanting to be with her. There were things that happened that you don't know, there were issues from before. I needed time."

"You needed time? Excuse me," he chuckled. "Danni was thrown in a damn asylum. For a while we thought we was going to have to put mom in one. The Fae relations was falling down around us and the human relations? Shit near non existent. Me well I had my own issues. But you needed space, you somehow had it worse then everyone. You needed your space and that's what mattered. Cool."

"Sean,"

"Look it's great to have you back if you are really—"

"I am."

"Riiight. Well it's great and all but if you don't mind I got some shit to do and then check on your wife to make sure she's okay since her couple monkeys short of a barrel daughter is out running a muck," nodding in defeat she went to the door leaning down placing her bottle on the floor.

"You've become a good man," pulling open the door. "An angry one, but a good one none the less. Thank you for taking care of what I should have."

**Lauren's Office**

"You okay?" Kenzi asked looking up from the floor full of scattered folders to Lauren who sat in the same position across from her.

"Would you believe me if I said yes?"

"No,"

"Well damn," a weak smile played on her lips earning one in response. "I'm fine just massive headache that won't go away,"

"Need to feed?" Kenzi's smirk turned from ambiguous to suggestive.

"Ha. Sadly it's not that kind of headache. It's more the one when you're estranged wife shows up running a muck and your daughter is on a nursery rhyme, mother hating, kill spree. Oh and you have the President of everything up your butt." she leaned forward her eyes dancing between her company and the files.

"Lauren," she leaned forward herself lightly placing her hand over the blonde's. "It'll be okay we've survived much worse." she looked from the touch up to meet the younger woman's eyes, a sad smile shared for so many reasons. Some spoken, some unspoken. Both pulling back neither saying a word luckily or unluckily the sound of Kenzi's phone broke the silence. Pulling it awkwardly from her back pocket she looked from the screen to Lauren. "Sooner or later you're going to have to make a decision."

"I know,"

"She's gonna find out," this time before Lauren could respond she answered the phone.


	8. Normal Is All Relative

A.N. Okay as previously stated here is the last chap for a week or so as I desperately try and scrounge up a beta. There isn't much happening in the chap like some of the others but is a look into Bo's thoughts/feeling. This chap sets the tone/start for the next set of updates so I felt it was fitting to stop here.

Also i did get a pm about how the same issues are still an issue with this many chaps in. Please do remember that that while multi chaps the day hasn't always changed. While changing my writing style apart from making the chaps longer i am also not rushing through 'their time'. A problem i think I had in DarknessWithin. I have ocassionaly made refferances to time so you just gotta look out for it. Just wanted to point that out in case anyone else was wondering or shared the other readers question.

Again always thanks for R&R.

**Chapter Seven : Normal Is All Relative **

'What are you doing?" Lauren asked before her foot had even touched the side walk. Now fully out of the SUV feet firmly on the ground her eyes scanned her surroundings.

She couldn't remember a time when she was more infuriated then this second and surprisingly it wasn't a personal issue. No Bo had just stepped out of the front seat while Kenzi road in the back with herself. Ty and Skylar pulling up right behind them in his Jag. No for once the anger wasn't coming from her always over the top, complicated personal life. She had wished for a time when her anger didn't derive from her own personal matters yet at this moment she was wishing it was just another stupid argument with Bo or anyone else for that matter. There she found herself standing on the outside of Jasper Park staring at the dumbest display her 'staff' had ever done.

To her right three photographers, two detectives, four crime scene cleaners. To her left another four detectives, one extra photographer, six cleaners and a scattered four other people who she couldn't quite place at the moment. Looking up at what everyone's attention was captured by hanging from the branches of several over lapping trees were ten heads most likely from the previous night's finds. Luckily it was nearing eight thirty and the sun was near gone though there was still enough light to see the surroundings clearly.

"What are you doing?" she repeated her question this time adding not only volume but base as well. Succeeding the second time around the ensemble froze and turned. "What are they doing?" her attention shot over to Skylar who looked just as scared as the group. "Don't just stand there take them down!"

"My Queen if we take them down now we'll lose any evidence," the nearest male detective let out.

"Evidence? Are you completely incompetent? We know who did this, do you think they left a sign saying where they were going? We're on a residential street in the early night in one of the most known parks and you want to leave ten severed heads hanging from trees for the world to see? Please tell me that is not what you are saying we should be doing."

"N-no, You heard her get them down. Now!" he yelled fumbling toward the crew who were now scrambling to clean the mess up.

"What is this?" she stormed over to Skylar who didn't know what exactly she should be saying or doing at the moment. "Your job is to handle issues whatever they might be. This is how you train your people? You're the damn head of defense that means what? You handle, train and if necessary clean up all issues involving ANYTHING to do with matters of what?"

"Defense,"

"Right. Perhaps I made a wrong choice in promoting you over Logan. Perhaps all you can handle is being a common bodyguard who trains other common bodyguards."

"No my Queen, it was not a mistake."

"Then why does it look like one right now? President Montgomery and her little attack dog already have a scent of something,"

'They won't find out about this-"

"How will they not? You have a damn circus standing here taking pictures and staring at them like it's the Mona Lisa."

"I'll take care of it,"

"I'll try and reach Logan again to get some help then we'll start calling the press seeing if anyone has wind of anything yet," Kenzi interjected trying to cut the escalating issue.

"Do you feel that?" Bo maneuvered herself to Lauren's side, hand resting on her shoulder.

"What?"

"Do you feel that?"

"Excuse me we're kinda in the middle of something you mind tryn'a cop a feel later," Skylar barked wasting no time to spread the pain.

"No it's Danni. She's here," Lauren kept her eyes focused on her wife who kept an ambiguous expression nodding as though she had been given an order. "I don't see her,"

"She wouldn't be in the park doesn't know it."

"We took her here before,"

"What when she was five? Think she's going to remember it well enough to disappear if spoted?"

"Point taken,"

"I think I got her," Skylar spoke turning slightly to look over her shoulder near the alley between two large apartment complexes.

'Don't," Bo tried but it was to late Skylar had turned just enough to spook the girl and like a black cat she sprung from the cover of the buildings starting down the street. "Dammit!" she growled taking off after her daughter along with Ty and Sklyar who had a three second head start.

"What is she wearing nitro sneakers?" Skylar griped as the three pushed to try and keep up with the girl who was already a block ahead of the trio. For seven blocks the trio pushed themselves to their limit never getting closer then half of a block closer until she made a sharp turn cutting into an alley letting the three close in no more then twenty feet behind. Just as the three turned into the alley all that was left for them was a shadow like figure half way up the buildings kicking off one side to the other until she was vanished atop the roof. "Lauren forgot to mention this bitch was Spiderman,"

"What did you just say?" Bo once doubled over grabbing her knees desperately trying to catch her breath was now standing straight a second wind washing over her.

"Chill out wheezy I didn't mean nothing by it,"

"I tell you what I'll chill out when we catch her and I'm done doing **your **job."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means if you were half as competent as you seem to think you are then you wouldn't have blown our chance."

"Your daughter is taking a swim in the deep end of coo-coo river and left her fruit loop floatys at home. She would have bolted the second any of us moved."

"Say something else," the succubus challenged pushing the woman just enough to make her step back. "Say something else about my daughter,"

"I don't know what it is about you that makes Lauren have a soft spot for you but she just ain't seeing there is something off about you," the woman responded with a push of her own.

"That's enough," Ty let out rubbing his brow knowing this was going nowhere good fast.

"I see it, Kenzi sees it, hell everyone but her sees it. There's something off about you Bo. Awful coincidental you appear and suddenly your homicidal offspring is bouncing off walls."

"Funny. You do remember that is your beloved Lauren's offspring too," Bo took a step in deciding that shoving wasn't achieving the result she wanted.

"You get in my face you better be prepared to do something,"

"I said that's enough," Ty barked annoyed grabbing both women by the shoulder and effortlessly pushing them apart.

**Sean's Loft**

"I fell sleep again huh,"

"Mm-hm,"

"Sorry. What are you doing?" he stood behind her hands resting on her shoulders looking down at his dinning room table that she had cluttered with seemingly endless paperwork.

"Your sister is trying to kill your mother with stress." relaxing her head against his body. "She left another present for her in the park tonight."

"Danielle or Danni,"

"What?" she tilted her head to look up at her lover who's body was suddenly tense.

"Let's limit the times we drive it down my throat I'm related to this-" he took a deep breath and a step away from her realizing just how quickly his frustration was rising. "I'm sorry babe,"

"it's fine." smiling polity deciding to let it go, her focus went back to her table of clutter as he started toward the kitchen. "Babe, can you try reaching Logan? Me and Kenzi can't seem to get through,"

"I sense someones not getting a Christmas bonus,"

**Unknown**

Bo shifted uncomfortably in the front seat the overwhelming amount of awkward silence finally getting to her. Her anger and sulking from the day only lasted so long, and the 'to soft to make out the words yet not loud enough no to hear the words' music playing was only adding to her frustration. She had contemplated trying to talk to the driver but there was something about his bulldog face that advised her against it. Maneuvering herself in her seat so she had a better look behind herself where her wife and best friend sat. While they weren't making any effort to speak to one another or even look at each other there was a calm, normal feeling between their silence not the same harsh, awkward silence she was feeling apart of. The type of silence when the most unpopular kid in school sat at the table full of cheerleaders and jocks.

Shifting just a little more so she had a slightly less better view of Kenzi and a slightly better view of her wife. Lauren sat still one hand in her lap the other on the seat beside her, eyes focused on her feet obviously deep in thought. The pain was written into every feature on the woman's face, in her eyes, even in each deep shallow breath she had been taking since they had left the crime scene.

She couldn't help but chuckle at the term, crime scene. Sure way back when she was acting as a privet investigator mixing it up with Hale and Dyson the term was used often it was fitting then. In passing through the years she'd hear it but it was from Lauren's reports or people informing her of accidents. And then in the past ten years she hadn't heard it once, hadn't even thought about the term. But now she was finding herself surrounded by them, found herself surrounded by people who used the term. Found herself being a apart of them with her wife and best friend. In some ways it brought back a nostalgic feel and in other ways it almost seemed laughable.

Lauren was no longer the doctor slash coroner slash scientist any more she was the Queen of Fae. Her drama should have been limited to paper work and debates. Kenzi was no longer the spunky human sidekick she was a grown woman who apparently got herself an important, boring job. Bo herself hadn't been around Fae in years. This right now what was happening didn't feel normal. Nothing happening seemed normal to her. Not the changes that her family had made while she was away, and not the actions they were making.

A slight movement caught her eye bringing her from her thoughts. Kenzi's hand lightly rested atop Lauren's earning a soft, tearful smile. And just as quick as it happened it was over, Kenzi was back to looking at her phone and Lauren had slipped back into her thoughts. Bo couldn't help the twinge of jealousy she felt. Sure she wouldn't even entertain the notion of Kenzi being the one Lauren was seeing but none the less their relationship seemed stronger then ever while her own relationship with either was slowly circling the drain.

**Unknown**

"You need to relax,"

"Mind your business." Skylar barked back hitting each of the presets on the radio one by one.

"You probably could have beat her ass,"

"Who? Bo? There's no probably to that I would'a wiped the floor with the leather wearing, cry baby." she turned to him near snarling. "You think she could take me?"

"I didn't say that," Ty laughed shaking his head realizing he had put himself in a compromising position.

"I could give a shit about her, if she sticks to her track record she'll be gone in a month at most."

"Then what's the deal?" he looked over at her. "Lauren is just upset and venting don't take it personal."

"I don't blame her, I blame Bo."

"You blame Bo for getting yelled at by Lauren for **your** job?"

"Lauren would have never done that had Bo not randomly showed up to break out their evil offspring."

"You don't really believe the succubus came back to break out Danielle do you?" his question almost drowned out by his hearty laughter.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I do believe there is more to her return then she's letting on,"

"Fair enough,"

**Bo's Assigned Loft**

Walking into her designated space as she like to think of it, she tossed the keys on the stand by the door looking around. It was the size of Sean's rather then Lauren or Kenzi's but that wasn't what bothered her. It wasn't the size or even the decor that she didn't have a choice in. It wasn't even the fact that Lauren had assigned her an apartment like some child who didn't have a say in what happened to them.

Despite everything she still wanted to be frustratedly stomping around **her** home. She wanted to be frustratedly sleeping on the edge of **her** side of her bed. She wanted **her** home and this apartment was just another reminder that she was getting further and further away from her home, away from her life. Walking into the kitchen she looked around pulling open the fridge a saddened smile pulling at her lips seeing two six packs one of her favorite wine coolers and one of her favorite beer. On the second shelf an assortment of gourmet sandwiches from her favorite place. To her best case scenario Lauren took the time to do it or at least get someone to do it. Worst case it was Kenzi which she wouldn't necessarily mind since they had been nearly as distant as she was with her wife. Grabbing herself the six pack of beer she went to the couch making herself comfortable for a long night of sulking.

She understood what everyone's problem with her was. She understood them being mad, feeling betrayed, feeling like she was selfish. She even agreed with some of it but what she didn't understand was everyone's lack of forgiveness. This was her wife, her son, he best friend. To her these three should have been trying to work things out now that she was back or at least retracting the claws to some degree. She couldn't lie a big part of why she left was for herself and an even bigger part of what she did when she was gone was for herself. But it wasn't just about her when she walked away it was for them, it was for Lauren. She knew she wasn't who she needed to be to be around them, around Lauren. She knew she had let herself find a darkness within herself that no one knew was there, she found a weakness that scared her. She found that she wasn't the hero everyone believed she was. Had Lauren not have caught herself things would be different. They'd be some dark, vile, serial killing family tearing the world apart. She'd never say it aloud to herself let alone anyone else but she was ready to give in at that moment. She could call Lauren weak all she wanted but in the end she was just as weak if not more. It was Lauren who found the strength to hold on not herself. Had she not in that split second realized there was still some part of **her **Lauren still alive it would have all been over.

She knew she had no real right to be angry that Lauren had found someone else after all Lauren like herself did need to feed or she'd die. If it was just feeding she felt she'd be okay with it but it wasn't just a means to survive while she was gone. No her wife had apparently found someone else to make her smile, make her feel safe. Lauren had found someone to replace her and that was the thing she couldn't handle. She may have had more one nightstands then any one country times two but she never committed to anyone. Never gave someone her heart, never let someone call her theirs. Never had she betrayed Lauren that way. Sure Lauren was still denying it or rather just avoiding it but she knew. She knew by the way things were, how she responded to certain things. How there was a hint of guilt behind her eyes every fight. How she flinched at every touch when she wasn't giving in. She may not know this new Lauren with her new personality but at the end of the day Lauren was still Lauren, the fundamentals remained the same.

Even through everything she believed that they were meant to be together. That this was just a passing phase and one day she would be okay and Lauren would be okay and they'd find their way back to each other as they always seemed to do. Believed that they'd be able to continue their once forbidden love affair like nothing had changed. She had believed in all those sweet words and promises they had made one another through the years. Believed in all of those memories that she kept so close to her heart. Those words, memories that kept her going through her darkest times. Helped her keep a hold of who she was, who she wanted to be. She believed in it all like a child believed in the fairy tales it's mother would read. She believed that even with all the darkness that surrounded them and at times consumed them would not win. She believed that their love was strong enough to last.

That wasn't fair, she knew Lauren loved her and that she wholeheartedly loved her so maybe their love was strong enough to last. Love wasn't the problem. Maybe it was their bond that wasn't strong enough. Or maybe their faith in each other, in themselves that wasn't strong enough. Maybe all those rules and laws so long ago were right, maybe they were never meant to be together. Maybe just because Lauren became, Fae it wasn't enough to fix them. Maybe they were just one of those heartbreaking couples who could never find a way despite the love they shared.

She refused to believe that. Those thoughts hung over her like her own personal cloud but she refused to believe them just yet. She knew Lauren still loved her, she could see it, hear it in her voice. She could feel it in her touches, her kisses, the way her body responded to her. She refused to believe that this was the end of them.

Taking the final swig of her third beer she set it down and stood a little too fast almost loosing her balance. If she wanted to she could sit there for hours obsessing about Lauren, about their failures, their ups and downs. Could play every memory on repeat. Go play by play of every word and action of Ty and Skylar to figure out who it was that was replacing her. But she made a promise to Lauren that she'd be there no matter what. She had made a promise to herself that she would no longer be that immature, selfish girl she was ten years ago. She had changed, had grown and she couldn't throw all of that away in a matter of days. No this situation was bigger then her, or Lauren or even their family.

Stumbling over to the bed she pulled back the cover plopping down fully ready to knock out and pray for a better morning until she saw a familiar folded paper resting on her pillow. Suddenly she found herself sobering as she stared this note down as though it was a figment of her drunken imagination but sadly it wasn't. Sighing she picked up wondering what sick game her daughter would be playing at now.

_'I married a wife on Sunday_

_She began to scold on Monday_

_Bad she was on Tuesday_

_Middling was she on Wednesday_

_Worse she was on Thursday_

_Dead she was on Friday_

_Glad was I on Saturday_

_To bury my wife on Sunday'_

_Always a step behind Bo yet another_

_failing of yours that mother will_

_have to pay for._

Running her hand through her hair she read it again and then again sighing to herself as she did a frightening realization that she would have to kill Danielle. She'd have to kill her daughter before the girl killed Lauren. She knew they should have killed her years ago when everything happen, it would have been the right thing but they couldn't. She knew that it was a possibility when the girl began this game. She knew it all even said it to herself more then a couple times throughout the past seventy two hours or so but this was the first time she had truly realized it. Truly felt the impact of the realization that she would have to chose between her wife and her daughter. Normally a mother would chose their child over their partner in a heartbeat but this wasn't a normal situation.


	9. How You Like Me Now

**Chapter Eight : How You Like Me Now?**

"There's no one here other then myself," Lauren's voice was low and husky as she stood on the last stair into the kitchen, her shoulder resting against the edge of the wall. A glass firmly held in her hand as she peered down at her wife who appeared slightly startled.

"I didn't think,"

"Yes you did," chuckling she took a sip. "You were using your stealthy walk,"

"No I—my stealthy walk?"

"Yeah. You have a sexy walk, a seductive walk, an angry walk, a have to pee walk, an I'm trying not to run and alert you walk. And last but not least you have your stealthy walk,"

"Well must not be all that stealthy if you can recognize it."

"Thirty years Bo, there isn't much I don't recognize."

"Well you always were the observant one," she smiled folding her arms over her stomach more as a lack of knowing what else to do then a sign she was upset. "I really wasn't trying to find you with anyone I needed to see you and I was being cautious in case-"

"In case I was in the throws of passion at four in the morning in the middle of the living room floor?"

"Well," she paused rolling her eyes to herself realizing how stupid it sounded. "I can remember more then a few times we had made love into the morning hours."

"Well no one is as ravenous as you," Lauren's smile faltered slightly realizing that her choice of wording might not have been the best. "Not that I ever complained,"

"Never during that is," Bo relaxed her stance a sense of nostalgia coming over her.

"Never. At least not seriously,"

"Now you tell me me," quietly laughing she made her way to the couch though she refused to relax all the way considering her wife hadn't moved a muscle. "You're really not going to tell me are you?"

"No not now. It's not time and things are complicated to say the least,"

"Fair enough I guess."

"Does it really matter **who** it is?" finally giving in she sat opposite her wife. "Weather it be Ty or Skylar, or anyone else would the pain be any different?"

"I guess not,"

"Then why are you so eager to find out?"

"Why are you so set on keeping it a secret?"

"Why are you so sure there even is anyone?"

"Why are you answering a question with a question?" Bo raised a brow a smirk playing at her lips.

"Because it's the easiest way to avoid answering an unpleasant question,"

"Always so clever,"

"Can be," she took another drink tired eyes locking with tired eyes.

"Do you love them?"

"Them?" Lauren couldn't help but chuckle.

"Him? Her? I don't know which to use remember,"

"Yes," it was a broken whisper but Bo heard it none the less. "I'm not in love with—them," she decided to use her wife's ambiguous term. "I couldn't be, but I do love them. I don't want to hurt them,"

"Why can't you?" the blonde couldn't help but kick herself knowing she let that slip in the mist of trying to cushion the blow. And now with how her wife was starting to lean forward, eyes opening past half mass. Lauren knew Bo far too well, knew that once she caught a scent of something she was like a dog with a bone. Knew it was better to give in then try and fight it but did she really want to give in. Did she really want to give her wife the satisfaction of the answer, that was the real question.

"What do you want from me?"

"For starters I want you to answer the question,"

"I can't be in love with anyone Bo because I'm still in love with you, but you know that. I know you know that, I know you can feel it because I can feel it in you. I know you know that I want you, and you know that I know you know that," she didn't mean to hesitate or to try and lighten the mood it had just been how it came out. "I told you already I love you, I said it before we made love. But it doesn't change anything. Those things I said, those things you said-they are real. You meant them and I meant them."

"I know,"

"Then what do you want from me?"

"I want to hurt you. I want to make you feel as bad as I do. I want to kiss you and hold you. I want you. But what I want from you?"

"You don't know do you?"

"No," Bo looked back up with the biggest puppy dog eyes Lauren had ever seen. "I don't know,"

"Well that makes two of us," silence fell over them like it had so many times before. "Why'd you come up here?"

"Um," she took a deep breath and held it not completely sure if she wanted to show her the note or not. Deciding to keep up with her new found honesty she pulled the paper from her shorts pocket handing it to her.

"Got to admire her creativity. Where was it?"

"On my pillow, like a nice little gift from the satanic tooth-fairy,"

"Well," she shrugged tossing it onto the table as she stood.

"Aren't you worried?"

"Yes. And I'm worried about a lot of other things too. Letters are the least of my worries," Lauren made it to the start of the hallway before turning around at Bo who looked confused. "Are you coming?"

"What?"

"Bo you came up here because of the letter you're worried about me right? And since there is no one else here most likely you're going to start a fight that will last into the morning when it's to late to sleep and the rest of the world is awake. I am tired and I don't feel like arguing so I don't see any other choice but to let you stay,"

"Oh okay," she said in a huff, pouting more then she realized at the realization Lauren may have known her better then herself. She wasn't even planning to start a fight as a way to stay she figured she'd just talk all night but in retrospect Lauren did have a point that would have been her next logical move. "Well I'll just lay down here,"

"Bo will you just come on I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch. Had we not slept together already...twice, then maybe but now it would seem kind of-"

"Rude?"

"Sure," Lauren grinned to herself as Bo hesitantly followed behind her. "Hands and lips to yourself though,"

"No promises,"

**4 Hours Later**

Lauren's mind slowly began to pull itself from the comfort of sleep. Forcing weighed eyelids to half mass she found her shirtless son standing next to Mila who was in short blue shorts and a tiny back spaghetti strapped top, with her hair loosely falling into her face. The unusual sight enough to make her push herself onto her elbows.

"Mom get up," this time her son's words began to wake Bo who laid on her stomach arm draped over her waist. "Mom now," he repeated for at least the forth time continuing to shake her foot.

"What's happening?" Bo mumbled into the bed.

"What happened to discretion?" Lauren glared as she looked the two over obvious they had just came from bed.

"Come on," this time his order was followed with him speed walking out into the hall Mila on his tail. Exchanging a sleep coated glare the two pushed themselves from the bed following them into the living room. "It's on the secure channel. Everyone in the building, everyone within the city wall has it." both looking from Sean who stood at the end of the couch with a remote to his line of sight. There on the television was live feed of Logan hanging from a water main by his bound hands, shirt removed with a strip of duck-tape over his mouth.

"Hello mommy," Danni walked into frame. "It's been a while, do you like the new look?" she held her arms out from her sides as she spun around. "Don't worry I don't blame you for not visiting me while I was away I got use to you not being there for me long ago. Lots of empty seats at sporting events, dinner tables but it's all good." a wink followed by a beaming smile from ear to ear. "You look great though. It was so amazing to see you last night it's a shame Bo had to ruin it. Although I must say I think you were a little hard on Skylar after all there isn't really a playbook when the Queen's daughter gos on an art spree." Lauren swallowed back the distrustful feeling rising in her throat. "Now, now mommy remember if you make faces they can get stuck that way."

"She can see us," Bo whispered as the group began looking around on instinct.

"Always the genius Bo now shhh this is for mother. I know you just can't stand for anyone other then yourself to get attention but you're just gonna have to share this time. Now where was I?" she paused tilting her head to the side an innocent smile over her lips as she played the 'dumb-schoolgirl' act to it's fullest. "Right, well see I've learned that to get any attention at all from you, you have to be a vile excuse for a person. Sasha? Well lets not go there right, hate to upset the delicateness that is Bo. Then of course your wife who just does everything wrong yet is never lacking your love, attention, affection. No she did get what was left of you after work and Sean took their stake."

"Is this live?" Bo asked going to the windows, eyes searching the ground.

"To answer the obvious yes this is live," her smile turning into something sinister as she wiggled her eyebrows while jogging backwards to the bound man. Pulling her signature blade from the back of his pants. "Thanks for holding this," she patted him on the stomach with her free hand smiling up at him before her attention went back to the camera. "He's such a darling isn't he. I mean to hold your own murder weapon? Now talk about a people pleaser,"

"Kill the feed. Get this off now," Lauren order frantically though unnecessarily as Mila was already turned away cell phone to her ear. "Now," she repeated her features twisting as she watched her daughter place the tip of the blade just above the hem of his low hanging pants.

"I wanted to get you something special and I thought the gift I left at the hotel and then the park would do it but I just found them to be so...impersonal. I thought you deserved better. I was going to grab Skylar last night when she left your house but that's a little **too** personal...for now anyway. So my plan was gonna be a whole scrap but I found this man walking to his car not a care in the world and I just had to take the opportunity. It was like God personally delivering him to me, he didn't even realize what had happen till it was too late. Hope he was better with paperwork then self defense,"

"Mila,"

"I'm trying."

"I want you to know mommy that this is truly," Danni's smooth, amused words were drowned out by muffled screams as she pushed the blade into his skin. "Truly all for you, and only you." she pushed the blade in deeper as she drew it up past his bellybutton to the middle of his torso. "Everything that has happened, is happening and will happen is all for you."

"Jesus Christ, Mila." Sean turned his head away from the screen to his mother.

"They can't cut it. They can't fucking cut it," she threw her phone down running her hand through her hair.

"I thought it was time someone showed you the attention you deserve. Their complete, undivided, unwavering attention. Sure I wouldn't know what that feels like especially from you but I've seen you so sad, so lonely just dying for someone to pay you that kind of attention and it hurts me. It really does because I know what it's like to starve for that, for anyone to just pay attention to you." slowly she pushed the blade deeper in as she drew it further up until it was at the base of his throat. "So my gift to you mommy," pulling the weapon out with a rough tug before plunging it into the right side of his throat and with one swift movement bringing it to the other side. "Do you like it?" she dropped the bloody instrument to the floor before skipping back to her original stance almost on top of the camera. "Love you, gotta go." she blew a kiss to the camera before the screen went black.

"They couldn't cut it," Mila repeated in a whisper her nose wrinkling as she let her eyes drop to the floor trying to process what they had just witnessed. Up until this moment Danni was just a boogyman. Someone she heard stories about, read files on but never had she seen the girl. Never had she seen the killer at work.

"How is she getting in here? This place is like Fort Knocks inside the White House how can she just come and go as she pleases?" Bo let out to no one in particular as she looked out the windows yet again trying to shake the feeling of helplessness.

"Shes gotta have help. Hacking into our systems, getting in and out of here when she pleases. No she ain't smart enough for this. She can't be she was fucking locked away since she was sixteen. They don't have internet access in padded cells."

"Calm down," Lauren spoke for the first time the sight of her son pacing back and forth pulling at what was left of her patience.

"Calm down? Calm down? She just gutted a man on television as some sick **love letter** to **you**. She's been popping in and out when ever the fuck she pleases like the fucking Trix Rabbit,"

"I understand you're angry and scared but there is no reason you need to use the word fuck more then once in a single sentience. You went to school, you had a proper upbringing, and last I checked you didn't up and join the sailors."

"This bitch is leaving you body parts and murder videos and you're worried about my choice of language?" he looked at Lauren completely dumbfounded his feet finally stopping firmly in place. "Really?"

"Sean don't-" Bo turned back to the group leaning against the glass.

"Why don't you go back to the brothel you came from and stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Sean Eric Alreyna." despite her tone remaining even her hand slammed against the arm of the couch. The noise wasn't as loud as one would have expected or desired for the effect she was going for but it was enough. "You may not like her at the moment, you may hate what she did-hell you might even hate her right now. But she is your mother weather you like it or not and as long as you're in my house you will speak to her with respect."

"Let it go," Bo said under her breath gently touching her wife's arm though she pulled away at the attempt at comfort.

**Unknown**

"Now there was a time when you loved me so. I couldn't do wrong. And now you need to know," Danni sung softly as she twisted the volume nob on her radio that laid on the seat of a chair next to the recently used camcorder. A satisfied smile taking over her lips as her eyes sparked, her head beginning to bob to the jazy-rock blended beat that came blaring from the speakers. Letting her body move with the music she turned the dial once again before dancing her way backwards into the middle of the creaky, wooden floor. "See I been a bad, bad, bad man. And I made a deal," she continued to sing to the song dancing with herself across the open space. The fact that Logan hung from the water main less the thirty feet away and that there were another seven lifeless bodies laying around not even fazing her. "How you like me now? How you like me now?" she sung louder and louder eyes closing as her mind drifted into itself.

**Sean's Loft **

"This isn't your fight!" Sean yelled slamming the door to his apartment behind himself.

"Says who? You?" Mila spun around her eyes burning with anger though she managed to keep her tone calmer then his. "This is my job Sean, but more importantly this is my family. Your mother has treated me better then my own family. You're my fiance now. This is my fight too,"

"No! I don't want you in the middle of this! Danielle is cutting through Fae, powerful Fae like they're nothing and you-"

"And I'm what?"

"You're just a human,"

"Just a human?" she snorted shaking her head as she walked to the dinning room table unable to face him without losing her temper. "Excuse me for being born human I didn't realize that made me useless."

"I didn't say you're useless."

"Remember your mother was born human,"

"Not completely,"

"Right." she gripped the back of the chair making sure to keep her back to him. "You don't own me Sean I will do what I please. I will do my job and I will do what I feel is right."

"You're going to get yourself killed dammit," he stormed over to the side of the table giving her no choice but to face him. "I would never forgive myself if you got hurt, if you died. If something happened to you it would be my fault."

"I am a grown woman. I chose this job and everything that comes along with it, good and bad. I chose to be with you—to love you. I am in love you. I am going to marry you. I would do anything for you, I would die for you. But you cannot ask me to run away from this. You cannot ask me to leave everything I know and love. I am not that person and if **that **is who you think I am then we have bigger problems then you looking down at me for being human,"

"I don't look down on you," he swallowed back his pride allowing his features to soften showing just how much pain and fear had been building behind his facade. "Human, Fae something in between I would worry about you. You're the love of my life. I couldn't live if something happened to you don't you understand? Danielle is insane and she wants everyone to be in as much pain as she is."

"I don't need you to worry about me like some child," she reached over placing her hand atop of his on the glass. "I realize I am human believe me I do. There is barely a second in my day that it's not thrown in my face. I know that I can't defend you if it ever came to that, I know that you will out live me. I know all of this and it make me feel helpless, useless. But for all of the things I can't do for you—with you the one thing I can do is be here. Be here for you no matter what." maneuvering his hand so he was holding hers as he stepped into her. Looking down at the woman before him he felt his heart breaking.

"I love you,"

"Then let me love you," her small hand cupped his cheek thumb gently wiping away a stray tear.

**Sanctum **

"This must be a special occasion," Connor said through a smirk his eyes moving slowly up and down Bo's body as she stood somewhat uncomfortable to the side of her wife next to Ty. "I almost didn't recognize you without the full entourage. Budget cuts?" his eyes moved to Lauren who's face remained stone. She stood up straight and proper, her features beyond stern, hands folded in front of her.

"Time is one thirty-seven pm on Wednesday the twentieth of August." President Montgomery declared standing from behind the Human Leaders table. "All ten Human Leaders are present, with the Queen of Fae, her wife and the King of the Light Fae species. This official meeting has begun,"

"This is not a meeting to discuss our previous issues. This meeting is not one that is open for debate and there will be no questions. In one minute the speech I am about to give will not only be for you but will broadcast worldwide through the secure channel created for the Fae species. There are two cameras facing me, none of you will be recorded." she held her hands up gesturing to the two ceiling corners of the room. "I suggest you remain silent and listen to what I have to say,"

"In five," Ty whispered.

"Brothers and sisters I will be as short and direct as possible not to waist anymore then need be of your time. My daughter has escaped along with two others. Herself along with the other two men are to be considered critically dangerous. They have taken numerous lives a total which I am not yet willing to disclose for various reasons. We have many men and women working to the best of their abilities to bring them to justice. There is **no** desire to bring these two men in alive. And as for my daughter," Lauren hesitated her stomach feeling as it was stuck in the blender, a constant pulse of pain plaguing her heart. "Danielle Alreyna is as of this moment an enemy of the species. **Any** means necessary **will **be used to end this. Anyone who aids, shelters or helps this individual will be considered an enemy of mine and the species alike. A violation which is punishable by death," Bo couldn't help the way her eyes widened or the way her head titled to stare at her wife in disbelief but like the human audience she remained silent. "There is no amnesty, no sanctuary, no reprieves and no mercy for this individual or any who aid her. Those within a thirty mile radius of us make no mistake we are in a state of emergency. Thank you," she tipped her head keeping her eyes on the desk until she was sure the cameras were off.


	10. No Forgiveness For The Devil

**Chapter Nine : No Forgiveness For The Devil **

Danni sat in the last of twenty recently varnished pews. Her thick, black hood hung over her face the hem ending a sliver before her line of sight. Her hands buried in her jacket pockets while her feet rested atop the kneel-er. Though obstructed she could see the scattered worshipers a total of ten that she could see seven women, two children and an elderly man. She contemplated looking across to the other side but found it was pointless. It didn't matter to her if there was fifty or two here. Her eyes bounced from back of heads to the near life size crucifix hanging in back of the alter, a snort escaping her yet she kept her eyes on it. She found a vile disgust filling her mouth at the sight.

She couldn't help but be amused at the fact that her mother, both of them along with every other Fae was looking for her. Even every human law enforcement officer, bounty hunter and then some were looking for her yet here she was in a room full of people unnoticed. She was by all accounts a perfect example of a young, beautiful and sexy woman. She was the daughter of the Queen of Fae, and the killer on everyone's mind yet she could simply go unnoticed. She could always go unnoticed. Her mother had a reach that could extend anywhere and everywhere yet she herself always seemed just out of reach. Most would have changed their name, their face. Ran and hid while waiting for the hype surrounding them to fade away yet she didn't see the point. Why run or hide when she could go unnoticed anywhere. It had almost been three hours since her mother's announcement yet she walked the streets just as she always had and not a single person even looked at her.

Her body total was quickly nearing in on four hundred making her the serial killer with more kills then any of her predecessors yet she could appear and vanish as she please. Had she not had a ravenous hatred for him she would have compared herself to God. She did what she pleased when she wanted with no consequence. She held the fate of any one person at the tip of her fingers at any second and there was nothing anyone or anything could do to stop her.

The sound of bells passing brought her mind from her thoughts though she didn't move. Soon enough she had a visual on the priest and the two alter severs even though everyone other then herself rose. And as they sat she stood side stepping into the aisle.

"Father you preach there is forgiveness for any soul that chooses to repent is that true?" she spoke as she took slow steps toward the alter keeping her head down.

"Yes of course my child but this is-"

"Even for me?" she was now just five pews away, bringing her hands up she slid her hood down. A devilish smirk over her lips as she saw the man in front of her turn three shades paler then his already cotton like skin. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes,"

"Then answer my question," she looked to her right at the frightened people and then the left a sense of amusement that every single person had fear coming off of them in waves yet no one moved.

"There is no forgiveness," slowly she turned her head back to him, her smirk fading slightly. "For the devil," she stared at him long and hard for several heartbeats until her malicious smirk crept back onto her lips.

"Just as well," the words hadn't yet finished rolling off her tongue when she appear behind him in the blink of an eye. "Didn't want it anyway," a flick of her wrist caused a snap to echo through the air followed by the thud of his body falling to the ground. It wasn't until he rolled down the two small steps that a sorted array of screams and cries filled her ears. "Don't run. Don't run," chuckling she stepped down over the body joyously looking out over her prey.

**Lauren's Office**

"Now that you're done shaking hands and smiling for the camera you mind telling me what the hell that was?" Bo demanded a fury blazing in her eyes as she looked down at her wife who was staring down papers atop her desk.

"What she did was what she always has," Bo turned to the unfamiliar voice as Connor causally strutted in an obviously annoyed Kenzi on his tail. "Save her own ass,"

"I don't remember you having an appointment,"

"He doesn't." Kenzi stood off to the side arms folded across her chest glaring at him.

"Did you really think that Nazi style, half assed excuse for a press conference would be enough? **Your** daughter is running through the streets picking people off like a kid in a candy store,"

"Who is this guy?" Bo asked eyes shifting from him to her wife.

"I have violated no law-"

"Lets be honest here, your daughter has an impressive body count and shes only been free for what is it?" he looked between the three women unnecessarily. "four days?"

"You and your master have seem to taken a liking to calling me a liar," she stood. "This is my mess to clean I let you and the rest in on it out of respect. Make no mistake this is not America, you have no authority over the people here or myself."

"Make no mistake Lauren," his hands found themselves on her desk leaning in matching her posture. "You don't scare me,"

"Then you are stupider then I had assumed,"

"I think it's time for you to go," recognizing how quickly this was spinning out of control the succubus found herself being the voice of reason. Stepping in she rested her hand on his shoulder just tight enough to show assertiveness yet not enough to instigate an unneeded fight.

"I think children should mind their business when the adults are speaking," pushing himself off the desk turning his stance toward Bo. Despite being intimidated she stood her ground, she couldn't explain how this human had the power to do so but he did. There had been a change to him, to his aura when her wife had challenged him that she couldn't describe.

"Take a step back," Lauren's order unmistakably a threat more then anything else.

"She didn't listen to you when you were married what makes you think she'll listen now?"

"I was talking to you,"

"You don't want this fight buddy," Bo spoke continuing to stand her ground even though with each passing second for an unexplainable reason found herself less and less sure of what the outcome would be in this fight.

"I think it's you who doesn't," he leaned in just a bit more their noses just a sliver apart, eyes locked.

"Touch her," showing speed the trio wasn't aware Lauren had she appear behind him, leaning down lips hovering over his ear. "And my daughter won't be the only one with human blood on her hands this evening,"

"You dare threaten me," his usual cockiness mixing with pure anger as he tilted his head toward Lauren who showed no sign of backing down.

"Dare?" she couldn't help the chuckle filled snort. "Whatever hallucinogen you've taken this morning is critically close of getting yourself hurt," Bo took a single step back realizing this was no longer, if ever her fight. Keeping a deadly stare down going the two took their own steps apart. It wasn't but moments later Conner's trademark smirk coated his lips, his stance falling back into his swagger filled normalcy while his anger seemed to vanish as quick as the situation had escalated.

"I'll be leaving,"

"Smart decision,"

"Cockiness doesn't suit you Lauren," turning his back to her, he got three-fourths the way to the door. "One question I do have to ask though, it's been killing me," spinning around his eyes found Bo looking her over once again before moving to Lauren. "Did she have some work done while she was spreading her legs for everyone **but** you?" eyes shifting back to the succubus. "I've seen the before pics and well lets say somethings got a little tighter, little bigger." his smile grew. "No comment?"

"Go fuck yourself," Bo forced a smile.

"Mm, love the mouth." pulling the door open he looked back to the women once more. "Something about a beautiful woman with a dirty mouth that is beyond sexy. Right?" he winked at the blonde as he walked out not bothering to shut the door behind himself.

"Who is that guy?" Bo repeated her earlier question after a long pause eyes focusing more on Kenzi then her wife with a new rush of guilt about her previous indiscretions.

**Unknown **

Bouncing down each of the five steps that led from the entrance of the church into the world. Though her black ensemble made the sight of blood near impossible there was no denying the bloody foot prints she was leaving along with her stained and dripping hands. A single smudge on her right temple. Looking up into the dimming sky she smirked a smirk of challenge, her brow rising. She held the expression for several moments half expecting angels or God himself to come down and smite her for the unspeakable things she had just done in what was known as His house.

"Mm," letting out disappointed she walked from the small gated way out into the world looking to her left at the passing couple to her right to the young mother and daughter who were approaching. "She's beautiful," kneeling in front of the girl who was now being tightly pulled into her mother's trembling embrace. "she looks like my mother," affectionately her index finger wiped across the girls nose as she stood. Eyes shifting from the girl to her mother. "Someone pays a complement the polite thing to do is say thank you,"

"Th-th-thank you," the woman's trembling only grew worse as Danni leaned in lips pressing to the woman's ear.

"Was that so hard," her only response as shake of her head. "didn't think so," pulling back with a joyous smile attention dropping back down to the child. "Goodbye sweetie,"

"Bye," the girl said with a child's innocence watching the stranger walking into the street as her mother clang to her.

**Compound**

"Seriously though what is up with that asshole," Bo pointlessly looked over her shoulder while trying to keep up with Kenzi's speed walk to the end of the hall where the privet elevator was.

"Well people who tend to look like that tend to do whatever they want," the succubus forced a laugh deciding to push past the not so subtle jab.

"Really though, I mean when did humans get so-intimidating."

"You've been outta the game a while Bo things have changed,"

"If only I could go a day without hearing that," she mumbled to herself shoving her hands in her pockets while they waited for the doors to open.

"Humans have come a long way in the past couple years. They'll deny it but ever since president Montgomery came into office shes had scientist coming up with specific weapons that target specific Fae and since the U.S is doing it then Russia and China went on to do so," she paused stepping onto the elevator quickly hitting the button before retreating to the corner trying to keep a distance between the two of them. "Now nearly all of them have something to use against Fae—what?" she barked noticing how the succubus was grinning at her.

"Just funny hearing you talk about it—about them like you're not human." Bo's grin faded replaced with a hint of embarrassment feeling as though she just stuck her foot in her mouth. "You are still human aren't you?"

"Yep, slowest aging one to ever walk the earth. Plus those pesky anti-aging creams those infomercials ram down your throat do miracles." rolling her eyes and shaking her head in true Kenzi fashion.

'What happened?"

"What happened?" snorting for the first time she turned to face the woman. "What happened was you took off and left your family to pick up the pieces and they did so the only way they knew how. Don't get me wrong I understand the running away unable to deal with everything falling apart but—could'a dropped a line or two,"

"Kenz I had too. You saw how far I had slipped and you better then anyone knew what could have happen. I needed-"

"Space? Time? Yeah we all held our breath for a while on those little lies. But around the time you were granted Ambassador status and we started seeing the receipts. Bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, spas," trialing off as she used her left index finger to tap each finger on her right hand as she went down the list. "The privet jet trips to Florence, Rome, France, Brazil, Tokyo, were those the places you needed to be while getting your mind right," stopping again as she saw the doors open and close for the second time. "Or shall we bring up all the people who reported back to us about your whereabouts. Or the various members of Lauren's staff you boinked?"

"Kenz I made some mistakes and I fucked off but when I left it was solely about me needing to sort shit out,"

"You may be able to weasel your way back in with Lauren cause that succu-snatch is just that tight...well I don't imagine it's all that tight now but you get my point. I'm not her, you don't get to waltz back in here strut your shit and have me at your feet. Lots changed Bo but not that much. We may be family cause nothing will change that, nothing will change what we've been through but we aren't friends." Bo felt like she had just been kicked in the gut by the hulk by the end of her best-friend's rant. Lips parted to speak, to protest even to put the younger woman in her place but she couldn't find the words. Nodding in defeat she stepped out of the elevator holding her hand out to keep the doors parted.

"Just how close did you get with Lauren?" those eight words wasn't what was supposed to come out. They weren't even close to what she had decided she was going to say but there they were. Those were the words that had been rattling around the back of her mind almost since she got there. She hadn't realized exactly how much until that moment. There was something so different about the way Kenzi had taken to defending her wife, from the word choice to the tone. The phrases she used and touches and looks she had picked up on. Her head and heart yelled at her calling her stupid that she would even question them. Her best-friend and her wife they had gotten close over the years but never was it ever anything nearing past platonic. This was Kenzi who was straight only dated men and never once showed interest in women. But then again she had to remind herself as everyone else seemed to do every chance they got, it had been ten years and a lot had changed.

"Ask Lauren," she leaned forward hitting the doors close button six times until Bo stood down and moved her hand.

**Lauren's Office**

"Arrg," Lauren let out standing from behind her desk throwing a book at the wall before running a hand through her hair.

"Show that book who's boss," Ty smirked looking up from his folder. "Care to show mine?" he closed the two inch thick folder extending it to her earning himself a glare.

"I am a badass, super, genius, Queen of Fae."

"Modest too,"

"A single celled organism could out score him on a simple IQ test. A single celled organism could out score him and Montgomery on an IQ test and yet here I am banging my head against the wall on ways to smooth over an issue that should not be an issue. But since they are single minded, illogical, fatuous, socialistic-people I must make a unnecessary, time consuming step toward them."

"Sure," pouting his lips and narrowing his eyes he nodded in agreement not understanding half of what she had said but knowing her and knowing she wasn't paying attention to him he didn't need to understand.

"I bend more for them then I do in my relationships,"

"I can attest,"

"What more should I do for them? I give and I give but nothing is ever enough. I bend over backwards to please them, give them time and attention and still I am treated with nothing but disrespect and dismissal."

"Sucks doesn't it,"

"I have mass funerals to attend, to plan. I have murders to solve, two killers to capture and possibly have to kill my own daughter. Then throw on the massive amount of paperwork and non daughter related work issues. Then continuing building of personal issues and I have to deal with these-people," she took off her glasses tossing them on her desk, hands moving to her hips as she glared down at him.

"You're cute when you get all worked up and speak in long sentences that normal people don't understand,"

"Tervedayia,"

"I love when you say my name," dropping the folder onto the desk he stood, straightening out his dress jacket as he smiled down at her. "Sexy genius sentences and the correct pronunciation of my name? Be still my hearts,"

"Forget my homicidal child and the President you and Skylar and Kenzi and Bo are going to be the death of me,"

"That is one sexy addition problem if I'd ever heard one," he stepped out from between the chair and the desk. "And I don't like math," she rose her brow mentally debating weather or not to scold him or just let herself laugh at the man's unusual charm.

**Unknown**

"Excuse me ma'am," Danni heard the man call from behind her but she didn't turn or even bother to slow. It wasn't until the forth time he repeated it, hand grabbing her arm and forcefully turning her to face him. "Did you not hear me calling out?" the officer asked not removing his grip. Her eyes looked from his hand trailing up his arm all the way to his face.

"Remove your hand,"

"I'm sorry?"

"Remove your hand or have your neck snapped,"

"Okay," he nodded using his free hand to reach across his chest for his walkie not taking the threat serious though he should have. His fingers didn't even touch the plastic before her hands were gripping his face. A flick of the wrist and he fell to her feet, an annoyed looked covering her face.

**Inside The Compound City Walls**

"Watch yourself," came a growl.

Mila inadvertently grazed a passing reptilian Fae. She normally would remind the Fae who she was, who she worked for in her calm, clinical tone that normally came across as intimidating. But in this case the seven foot, scale and claw having reptilian Fae who had several fangs protruding from it's mouth and red beady eyes glaring down at her with biceps that look the size of mini Toyotas. She quickly came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be the smartest idea to press her luck.

"I'm sorry didn't see you," her brow tensed realizing how dumb that had sounded. She smiled apologetically earning herself a gargle before the androgynous Fae went on it's way.

She herself was careful person in all aspects of her life, hardly ever did she make a decision that wasn't calculated. Sean had told her that she reminded him of Lauren, a complement she took with pride. If there was anyone she ever wanted too model herself after it was Lauren. Aside from being careful and calculated she thought of herself as aware being one of the only humans among the inner circle of the Fae she had to be. True she was the Queen's personal assistant and secretly engaged to her son the Prince for all purposes there were still plenty of Fae who wouldn't mind if she vanished and plenty of radical humans who considered her a traitor. But considering everything that had happened within the week. The most recent crime scene information she had to process and inform Lauren of combined with the eery feeling she was being watched had apparently knocked her off her game.

She had made sure to check her surroundings multiple times from when she left Skylar at the church all the way into the compound parking lot. Made sure there were no tails, no car or person spotted twice yet she couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on her. She wasn't the type of person to continuously look over her shoulder it just wasn't her style. That and the fact with how high tensions were running within these walls she thought looking over her shoulder every step would start to freak out the bystanders. These four walls were the last sense of safety and normalcy these Fae and few humans had. Sure they knew the world outside was going to hell but within these walls they were safe. No one outside of the inner circle and Danni herself knew that the girl had found a way to slip in and out undetected.

The main entrance now in sight along with Alton and Fredrick the night guards who despite there scary appearance were sweethearts. Two who had taken a special liking to her a while ago since she was always coming and going at obscure hours she'd bring them coffee, soda, an occasional snack. She waved with her free hand the two grizzly bear like men waving back like young school boys with a crush. Just in her line of sight other then the two were three other couples, a pair of teenage boys skateboarding, a woman on a near by bench reading a book. Eleven people in total yet she found her fear building. With each step she felt a gaze upon her, burning a whole in her back.

Throwing caution to the wind she looked behind herself but there was nothing but various people afar, the light breeze moving the trees causing a subtle whistle. The rustic looking night lights while more decorative then anything created enough light that she could see clearly for the most part and there was nothing yet she still felt eyes. Coinciding to the thought that even if there had been someone watching there wasn't much she could do about it.

"Everything okay Mi?" Alton asked looking out where she had previously been.

"Yeah not enough sleep making me jumppy," she smiled innocently. "Oh I almost forgot," using her free hand she pulled a Snickers and a Payday from her jacket pocket. "Couldn't let my boys go hungry,"

"Thank you," they said in union pulling the doors open for her.

"Guys, be careful tonight okay?"

"Of course," Fredrick smiled. "When are we getting cake samples?'

"Shh," she tapped him on the stomach unable to reach his chest without extending her arm. "Keep it up and you won't get any," sharing a light laugh with the two as she walked into the building.

**Inside The Compound City Walls**

Danni stood leaning against a tree hands in her pockets, hood hanging over her face though her chilling smile was visible. She watched her brother's girlfriend or as she had just learned finance walk into the building leaving the two men grinning and joking amongst themselves as they ate their treats like some pets. She had to give it to the young human she had a way about her. Her eyes traveled over the numerous people going about their lives not a hint of worry about them. It only made her smile grow knowing that she could kill all of them most before they had even realized she was there.

Her eyes danced around a bit longer before they moved up the building almost immediately zeroing in on the windows she knew to be her mother's. The windows that were once her's. Nothing but darkness her smile wavering slightly. Picking up on a familiar scent she chuckled. Turning and walking from the grass onto the path she walked away from the buildings.

"Watch it," Skylar growled as the hooded girl bumped into her. "No need to apologize," she said stopping and looking behind herself the comment bringing Danni to a stop. It was only for a brief moment she stopped and contemplated killing the woman. Deciding it wasn't time yet, it would be a waist she continued on her way. "Bitch," Skylar mumbled to herself resuming on her own way.

**Lauren's Loft**

Lauren walked into the darkness that was her apartment and for a moment she just stood there daring whoever was there if there was anyone. As the doors finally came to a close she hit the switch, she half expected the boogyman, half expected some grotesque scene of bodies left for her. She even at the very least expected another goose-bump raising note but there was nothing but herself. Kicking her heels off and letting her skirt drop over them before undoing the buttons on her shirt and letting in fall into the pile.

For a second a weak smile found a home on her lips as she thought how fitting it would be to be attacked now. How horror movie cliche it would be for the blonde to be attacked in her underwear. Walking to the couch she took her glasses off setting them on the table and pulling the gray shorts from the couch. Swearing she heard something she leaned over the couch looking down the dark hallway. Shaking her head she grabbed up her black, spaghetti top though to be honest it was really Bo's not that she'd admit it to anyone. When her wife had take off she had taken near everything but the few pieces of clothes that were in the wash, those of which Lauren had kept.

Walking over to the windows she looked out into her 'kingdom'. She couldn't help but wonder if her daughter was out there. Wonder if she was out there at this very moment watching her. It was a chilling thought if she ever had one. Shaking her head yet again she made her way to her discarded clothes searching for her cell.

**Me**: Are you awake?

**Bo:** It's only 10.

**Me:** A simple yes would have done.

**Bo:** Sorry. Apparently my sarcastic charm doesn't work over text.

**Me:** You have charm?

**Bo**: Are you now purposely seeking me out to insult me now?

**Me**: You've become quite a big baby in your old age.

**Bo**: Call it a rough day. Week. Life.

**Me**: Whine. Whine. Whine. I don't remember you being this big of a baby.

**Bo:** I don't remember you being so mean.

**Me**: I'm not mean...call it a rough day. Week. Life.

**Me:** I was trying to come up with a clever, skilled way of asking you up where I didn't actually ask but I'm tired so...?

**Bo: **Everyone else bail on you?

**Me:** Actually...yeah. Who told you?

**Me:** Stop being a baby and come up.

**Bo:** No.

**Me:** I'm not begging.

**Bo:** Fine by me.

**Me:** Fine. Fine. Please come up?

**Bo:** That's you begging?

**Me:** What can I say I'm out of practice.

**Bo:** I'd say.

**Me:** Could come up and remind me...

Lauren tossed her phone on the side table using her foot to push her pile of clothes neatly out of the way. A genuine smile trying to cover her face though she wasn't making it easy. She walked back over to the window grabbing herself a drink wondering just how long it would be until she heard the ding of the elevator.


	11. Falling Together While Falling Apart

**Chapter Ten : Falling Together While Falling Apart **

Mila slipped into Sean's apartment despite the lights being on along with television Sean was sprawled out on the bed. Shaking her head she went to the table dropping the most recent crime scene folder along with her jacket and shoes before shuffling over to the bed. Standing silently she watched him, his features twisted as his legs kicked at the bed. The seats covered in sweat more then normal since he was shirtless. She would have just accredited his nightmares to his sister being on the lose but since they had started long before she couldn't. It would have been so much easier to do so, so less concerning.

"It's me baby," she says as he mumbles, sitting down on the small space between him and edge of the mattress.

"Hey," he whispered huskily eyes tiny, dark slivers.

"Hey,"

"Is it morning?"

"No. No," she shook her head hand gently resting on his chest. "It's still Wednesday, little after ten."

"I'm sorry I was reading-" he shook his head against the pillow mind starting to clear. "How was your night?"

"Much," leaning down giving him a peck on the lips. "Much better now."

"Know the feeling," his arm lazily draped over her lap. "How bad did it turn out to be?"

"Lets not-"

"How bad?" he use his feet to push himself up to a sitting position against the wall.

"Babe,"

"Tell me,"

"She um," letting her eyes drop down to his arm trying to avoid his intimidating gaze. "it was the catholic church on Farrell street,"

"How many,"

"Twenty-two including six children."

"Well glad to know she doesn't discriminate," his voice broke as he pulled back his arm.

"It's not your fault,"

"I should'a been out there looking for her not in here sleeping," he pushed himself down to the edge of the bed.

"Your mother said to stay out of it,"

"I'm a grown man," he stood storming across the apartment to the bathroom slamming the door behind himself before she had a chance to say anything else.

**Lauren's Loft**

"Wow a total of fifteen minutes?" Lauren smirked from behind her wine glass at the ding of the elevator. Her eyes remaining forward staring out of the window.

"I was trying to decide if I was in the mood to be insulted tonight...as it turns out I'm a complete and total masochist."

"Complete and total are the same thing, it's redundant to use them in the same sentence for the same example."

"You know I could simply turn around," she pointed behind herself smirking until realizing Lauren wouldn't be able to see it. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking,"

"About?"

"Danni,"

"You have to stop doing this Lauren,"

"I'm just wondering if she's out there. Like literally out there at this moment just walking around watching people, watching us. She's proven more then once she can get in and out of the walls of the city. Even gotten into the complex, our apartments."

"Lauren," calling softly finally moving from the elevator to the arm of the couch yet she still found herself timid of the idea of getting any closer.

"I didn't want you to come up to talk about her,"

"Need a light bulb changed or something?"

"Am I missing something?" Lauren asked pouring her company a glass and topping hers off.

"**You** miss something? Never happen,"

"I'm not dating Kenzi," she turned offering the glass even though her features had twisted into an annoyance and irritation mixture. "She had text me after your conversation,"

"Conversation? Is that what you crazy kids are calling it now a days?" she took the glass continuing to glare at her wife not completely convinced.

"Me and Kenzi have gotten close and due to her situation we have a—deep understanding to a degree."

"Deep understanding? You feed off her?"

"No," rolling her eyes the blonde took a sip quickly realizing this wasn't going to go the way she had planed. "Kenzi isn't human anymore a transition I can relate too if you remember,"

"I figured," she took a gulp for the first time since arriving back in town she finished a drink before Lauren had. "And?"

"She's connected to me...literally. She went to the Norn and made a deal though I think the price was too high but it was her choice,"

"Meaning what?"

"She isn't human anymore but she isn't Fae either she's something in between," pausing as she refilled her passive aggressive wife's glass. "She had to give up some things and in return she would be able to get off the doping she was doing and live without aging. But in the fine print her life would have to be connected to someone else so,"

"She picked you,"

"You had left. Apparently she had gone a few days before you left and didn't like the terms but something happened that changed her mind. You were of course her first choice but with you up and leaving not to be heard of again—I had to be used."

"What did she have to give up?" her tone soft and guilt ridden, her eyes shifting down to her glass.

"Apart from her life no longer being her own? She can never have children nor will she ever be able to love another man completely,"

"What? When Dyson-"

"Yeah well Kenzi's tactics to get his love back really upset her so she had to pay a higher price then most. I told her not too, that it wasn't worth it but then again she would have been dead in a matter of days."

"So this connection how exactly does that work? Like she feels whatever you feel or?"

"No. Her wounds are hers and mine are mine except in the case of my death then she will die too. Otherwise she is safe as houses. Stabbing, shooting, beaten to a pulp she'll recover. We haven't tried decapitation since I am more then eighty-five percent sure that would kill her."

"Wait you've tired things?"

"A while back Kenzi tried to," she trialed off internally debating if she should be sharing this much with the succubus. "There was an incident with an interesting result. Afterwords we did some calculated testing yes,"

"What incident?"

"Bo this isn't my story to share with you,"

"Lauren tell me," she demanded grabbing her wife's arm as she had tried to move past her. "Please,"

"She attempted to hurt herself yes. At the beginning there was some issues with the change combined with everything that had happened, what was happening. Then her system cleaning itself of the doping-it was a lot. She had a moment of weakness but we moved past it, and there hasn't been a problem since."

"Did you," it was a broken near inaudible whisper of a question but one that held stronger weight then the loudest insult. Lauren had tried subtly to pull her arm free but Bo's grip was tight enough to prevent it.

"You don't get to know that Bo,"

"The hell I don't,"

"You weren't here, if you were so concerned you should have been. Should have at least called,"

"It's going back to this?"

"What do you expect Bo? You bring up the past, want to know what happened. Want to know why things are the way they are—then yeah it brings up what you did. The problem with having a shot at immortality is that time is different for us. Sure ten years for a human is a long time but for us it's like a year sometimes months. You bring this stuff up and I still feel the pain of what happened, Sean still feels it, Kenzi still feels it." she jerked her arm away her face wrenching at the pain of Bo's nails scratching her skin. "You think I don't understand your point of view but I do,"

"W-what?"

"Like I said ten years to us isn't that long and you didn't think much would change, figured we'd all share your sentiments. But we took a different stance, for us the pain is still fresh. I understand how you could get to your point of view but it's an immature one."

"Is that your favorite insult for me? Immature?"

"It's the most accurate. Don't get me wrong in the time you've been back there has been moments I look at you and I hardly recognize you. You seem like you grew so much, that you've matured and I think that despite everything maybe it was a good thing you took time. But then there are moments like this that I see the same old you. The you who could never make a choice between me and Dyson. The you who put your own feelings above everyone else. The you who couldn't make a decision and stick to it."

"I made a choice I picked you."

"I forced you, you were backed into a corner. And then even when you did you still wavered on it. Bo my memory is fine I remember it all from the moment we met to three seconds ago. It's like a damn home video that never get worn out."

"You were always **my** choice," she turned eyes burning a hole in her wife's back as the blonde had finally put distance between them.

"Well you sure had a crappy way of showing it,"

"I've never said I didn't make mistakes but I can remember a few of yours too,"

"There we go deflect, deflect, deflect. When all else fails deflect-Bo's third favorite defense,"

"Blame, blame, blame. Lauren's second favorite defense although her first is rather similar. First play the martyr. Second blame and third shut down completely, it's always easier without emotions."

"First runaway and hide. Second lie and deny and third when all else fails deflect." she turned, a silent fury in her eyes. "Well you've played all three already so I'm assuming you'll start back at one? Shall I hail the elevator for you?"

"You want me to take the blame fine here I am," she slammed her glass down on the cabinet before turning back to face her glaring wife. "I take it all, it was all on me. Everything that happened when I was here, when I left and now that I am back it's all me. Come on tell me some more what I cause," she took another step in narrowing the distance to a mare five feet but Lauren refused to step down. "I'm waiting,"

"Bo,"

"No! Tell me some more," she closed the distance so fast that it made the blonde stumbled back against the wall between the elevator and kitchen stairs. "Tell me how it's all my fault," her right hand slammed against the wall next to her head while the left slapped the glass from Lauren's hand, the glass shattering over the floor. "Tell me!" even though her eyes were burning blue and her voice a husky yell there were stray tears slowly slipping from the corners of her eyes down her cheeks. "Dammit! Tell me it's all my fault," her body jerked but held it's stance when Lauren's hands flew to her face.

"It's-"

"Say it!" despite the somewhat painful hold from her wife she pressed her face closer, their foreheads crashing together. "Say it!"

"It's not,"

"What?!"

"It's not," Lauren's stone features began to break as she felt her own tears building. "It's not."

"I'm sorry," she repeated each time growing softer and softer as her body relaxed until her eyes returned to their warm normalcy. Tears freely falling as she dropped to her knees head buried in her wife's stomach, arms wrapping around her waist.

At first Lauren didn't move she just stood there trying to rationalize what had just happened, what was happening. She wasn't quite sure what her intention of bringing Bo up to her loft but she knew it wasn't to fight. And when things escalated she was ready to lay into the woman who was usually deflective and self righteous but instead she found herself watching the woman break in front of herself. Shaky hands found there way to the succubus' shoulders pushing her back just enough so she could drop to her knees.

"I couldn't stand myself, I couldn't stand the sight of myself in the mirror. How I failed you and Sean and Danni and everyone else. It was my fault. I could have stopped it—there were so many things I could have done but I just," she shook head half trying to get away from her wife's hold, half just instinctual. "I failed you, I failed our family-"

"Bo that wasn't only on you, I did so much of that. I had more blood on my hands then anyone-"

"No," she shook her head again voice breaking. She could hardly see through her tear filled eyes but her hands kept a firm grip on Lauren's hips. "So...so many times you held it together for us. So many times you held me together and the one time you needed me more then ever I-when I left I swear to God it was because I wanted to fix things."

"Bo shh," her hands moved up to the broken woman's moist cheeks. "It's okay just-"

"But the more I was away I thought you were better without me. That Sean would be better with me gone. There were so many times I wanted to come back or call you or e-mail you but every time I started to I just remembered another thing I did wrong. Another way I failed you—another reason why you better without me until it was to late."

"Then why?" she clenched her jaw tight suddenly finding her anger returning. "Hm? Why now? Why come back at all?" shoving the woman back by the shoulders the push unexpected and hard enough that Bo fell back onto her butt. "You think you can just cry and tell me what I want to hear and what I'll take you back? All is forgiven lets get on with our lives? I know you Bo you've pulled this before,"

"No,"

"No what?"

"I can't live without you,"

"Really? You did just fine while fucking your way through Europe and Asia-" pouncing to her feet her eyes a mixture of pure pain and anger. "Argh! Do you know what it's like for me knowing you've been touched by other people? They had their hands on you, their mouths! They felt you cum—felt you—made you feel how only I should. Every time I touch you I think of that—it's an image I can't get out of my mind. Every time you kiss me I think of all of those people you've kissed-tasted."

"What about you?!" Bo finally pushed herself off the floor yelling back just as loud.

"Jesus Christ Bo—how many years did you think I'd be the stupid grieving wife?! How long did you think I'd hear and see your indiscretions before I gave up?"

"I don't know!" she knew she didn't need to yell her response since the question was actually asked rather calmly yet she seemed to have lost control of everything. Lost control of the situation, her emotions, feelings, words, tears. There really wasn't a single thing at this moment that she had control over.

"Eight years, three months and one week."

"What?"

"Eight years, three months and one week," she repeated slower, calmer and adding annunciation to each word. She knew Bo might have taken it as a slide jab at her but in truth it was just how it had came out while she was trying to calm her breathing. "That is how long I waited for you. That is how long I mourned you. How long I held out the pathetic hope that you'd be back and we could work through it. That is how long I waited,"

"Lauren,"

"Seems precise? Yeah probably because I remember the exact day you left and I remember the exact day that I let you go. Even through everything, all the emotions I went through I told myself I deserved it. That I had deserved it because of what I did and you know what? I probably did—still do but I pay every day in so many ways and at some point I just got tired of paying that way. Because I didn't cheat on you—i have never cheated on you. Hell I lost my humanity and was killing people without remorse and I still remained faithful. You know what that tells me? I'm a sucker,"

"No," Bo spoke softly leaning against the arm of the couch her tears no longer falling. Her stomach along with her heart may have felt like they were in the blender but appearance wise she had managed to pull it together. "It tells me you're amazing and I was right-I don't deserve you and probably never did."

"I was so in love with you,"

"I—I think I know that," she whispered. The sentence itself was the most ambiguous one of the evening. She knew Lauren would take it at face value though for her she focused in on the past tense of the words. On one hand she needed more then ever to know who it was and yet on the other it didn't really matter anymore. Maybe it never did matter exactly who it was just that someone was there to give her everything she hadn't. "Are you happy with—them?"

"M-mostly. There is so much trust and dependability and respect," Bo just nodded trying to keep her jaw tight. "I feel safe when I'm with-" Lauren caught herself running her hand through her hair sighing before walking over the the nearest couch and plopping down. "There is everything there should be in a relationship Bo-"

"Then I'll-"

"But there isn't a night when I don't wish it was you. Sometimes on nights when I'm exhausted I can close my eyes and drift off just enough to convince myself that it's your arms around me. Sometimes I can ignore the name on the caller I.D. And pretend it's you checking in on me or flirting with me. Sometimes I pretend it's you touching me,"

"You need to stop," the succubus' voice broke once again her heart pounding so hard it hurt.

"Stop wishing it was you?"

"No stop talking," she turned big brown sorrow filled eyes finding Lauren's. "Because if you don't then I'm not going to be able to say what I need too. I'm not going to be the mature woman I think I've become. I'm not going to be able to walk away," Lauren stood tears threatening to fall as another sigh escaped though they both new it was a mask for a whimper. "Tell me to let you go. Tell me to leave and I'll walk out that door—I'll keep my promise but afterward I'll be gone. I won't pressure you or threaten your relationship I'll let you go just tell me to leave,"

"That simple?"

"That simple,"

"All I have to do is say leave and-"

"And that's it," she took a single step in. "Just say the word,"

"I-"

"Say it." she took the last safe step in now being more then in arms reach. "Please God just say it because that is the only way I'm going to be able to do it." she picked up on the growing uncertainty in the blonde's voice, the obvious hesitation written over her face. Shyly reaching out she took Lauren's trembling hands into her own lifting them up with absolutely no protest. Tilting her head her soft lips kissing the delicate flesh on the inside of her wife's wrist. "Say it," and then the other. "One word and it's over,"

"D-don't ask me to do this," her eyes fluttered closed on instinct as Bo moved in closer dropping her head into the crook of Lauren's neck. Warm, soft lips so close to her skin she would have sworn they were touch her. Letting go of her wife's hands they slid around her waist holding her close. "I don't want you to leave but,"

"No. No buts," kissed up Lauren's throat to the start of her jaw line.

"It can't be this easy Bo," despite her words she couldn't help the moan that escaped or how she tilted her head giving the succubus better access. "I don't want you to leave but I'm not going to leave—"

"Good,"

"What?" Lauren's eyes shot open pulling back a little forcing Bo to do the same.

"Good. I don't want you to leave him or her or them or it," she chuckled softly. "I don't want you to break for me any more—just bend." she slid her hand to the back of Lauren's neck. "Give me the chance to show you I can deserve you? Give me the chance to show you that I'm the one you're supposed to be with."

"You're serious?"

"Give me this chance and I'll beat them. But for the first time it won't be about pride or egos or anything other then us. All I want is a chance,"

Lauren stared at the woman before her, not girl or succubus or Fae or necessarily wife but woman. There was so much pain and jealousy behind her words yet a raw honesty she hadn't seen since they met. Letting her eyes dance over the pleading yet flawless features of Bo's face she felt a twinge at her heart. She told herself she wouldn't do this again, wouldn't give her a chance to hurt her again. But in this moment looking at her so broken, so raw, so innocent Lauren couldn't help but bend. After all Bo wasn't asking her to make a choice tonight, wasn't asking her to break for her yet again, no all Bo was asking was for a chance to prove herself. She had stayed silent trying to keep her features stern but her eyes gave her away. Swallowing back the last thread of resolve she dove in hands entangling themselves in silk like, brown locks as her lips ravished her wife's.

**Main Hall**

"Hey,"

"Hey," Skylar greeted back tiredly as Ty came jogging up behind her.

"Give in?"

"Yeah I'm spent. I was supposed to be done about an hour ago but issues upon issues,"

"Well sorry to break it to you but I need your help."

"No." answering flatly as she near manically pressed the call button for the elevator. "No."

"What are you going to go to be a lazy ass?" he stuck his arm out preventing her from entering.

"Yes! I'm going to go and have a nice conversation with my loving girlfriend. Possibly have a nice hot, shared shower with her and then drift off to sleep in her very warm yet very sexy embrace."

"Wow that was pretty fuckin' girly." he chuckled again sticking his arm out as the doors opened again.

"The fuck dude, back up."

"I need help."

"No."

"Come help and I'll cuddle you,"

"You've lost your damn mind," snorting this time she ducked under his arm sliding in.

"Skylar," he said seriously stepping in the way of the door.

"Is Bo up there?" she asked softly though her body had tensed up.

"No she isn't I was just up there a few minutes ago. The baby succubus and Kenzi had a pretty bad fight don't think shes up for another round with your girl," she stared him down for a moment she was a pretty good judge of character and pretty good at telling when people were lying yet at this particular moment she seemed to be stumped. "You want to call her?" he pulled his phone extending it.

"What do you need help with?" she sighed relaxing.

"Body , geo maps all that good shit."

"Good shit?" she stepped out of the elevator raised eyebrow in true Lauren fashion. "I know your English is ify at best but we need to work on your definition of good shit."

"My English is perfect,"

"Then why is it it takes us thirty minutes every time we go to a drive through?" she chuckled elbowing him as they walked back toward the main security office.

**Sean's Loft**

"Finally I thought I was going to have to go fishing for you," Mila said looking up from her book, laying on the bed.

"I was a dick,"

"You were."

"Don't rush to disagree."

"Well when you're a dick you're a dick but most times you're a sweetheart."

"That was a lot of references to my dick,"

"What?" she glared at the approaching man. "I was calling you a dick not referencing yours. It's at times like this I wonder how old you are,"

"Twelve?" he smirked catching the book she threw at him. "Fourteen?" dropping the book as he caught a pillow. "Am I getting close? Sixteen?" he laughed as she kicked out lazily aiming for his special place as he grew closer. "You kick like a girl,"

"I am a girl,"

"Well that's good to know," he smirked devilishly. "I was kind of on the fence for a minute there," he jumped back as her kick skimmed the material of his shorts.

"since you seem so keen on talking about your dick lets talk about all the places it won't be going for a while,"

"Awe baby," his best puppy dog eyes came out as he extended his arms out toward her. "I kid, I kid."

"Oh I kid too..." she maneuvered herself onto her knees letting him wrap his arms around her. "Just not about this,"

"Damn," he shook his head pouting. "but see baby I have this disease called foot in the mouth syndrome and it just acts up from time to time,"

"I'm quite aware of it."

"Really? Well then you can't be mad,"

"I guess not but see I have a disease too it's call I can withhold sex and it tends to flare up right around the time yours does."

"Shit," continuing to shake his head he pulled her closer. "I think we need to see someone about this,"

"Mm I agree,"

"You know I love you right?"

"I do," she leaned up giving him a quick peck. "And I love you more then you know but you still ain't hitting it tonight

"What about beating it? Tapping it? Bump fuzzies?"

"You just can't help yourself can you?"

"No." he let his head fall onto her shoulder unable to hold his laughter any longer.

"Bump fuzzies really?"

"Like that?" his question barely able to be made out through his laughter. "It was that or pound the duck."

"Oh my God! Where are you getting these?" she pushed against him falling back onto the bed laughing.

**Lauren's Loft**

"This might come across as creepy but," Bo looked up at Lauren though she kept her head firmly planted on her wife's stomach. "You smell great."

"Why is that creepy?" softly laughing as she continued to lazily play with Bo's hair.

"Cause the whole time we've been silent I've been sniffing you."

"It's okay the whole time I've been picturing you naked. We all have our kinks," Bo's head lifted just a little to smirk suggestively. "Down girl,"

"Psst, tease." she laid her head back down, her free hand starting to play with Lauren's.

"I thought you were supposed to be showing me how to beg."

"Seriously?" she rose her head again earning a hearty laugh from her wife. "Now you're just going out of your way,"

"I am. I like making your aura fluctuate, it's like my own personal light show."

"Pure torture,"

"You love it,"

"Kinda do," bringing her head back down this time gently biting her over the shirt.


	12. Fifty Shades Of Guilt

**A.N.** First just a quick warning this starts off as M. Its about that time i just wanted to say thank you for all the great reviews you have all taken the time to give. They mean a lot and great to see how much everybody is getting into it and what people are catching in the subtle things i slip in. I know i said i wouldn't be updating for a week but i had so many done chaps in the folder i found myself not wanting to write and now with only on complete one left i feel the urge to start writing again so hope you all didn't mind the wave of updates. Hope everyone had a great mothers day and thank you again.

Oh and btw for all those wanting badass bo lol i think within the next few chaps you should be happy readers. Hopefully ;)

**Chapter Eleven : Fifty Shades Of Guilt**

Hungrily gazing down at her wife she trailed her hand down Lauren's tense, damp stomach. The light, simple touch making the woman arch her back up forcing Bo's hand to slide lower.

"Has anyone ever told you, you have control issues?" Bo's labored breath made her words hard to hear though in honesty Lauren wasn't paying much attention to anything other then where her wife's skillful hand had found a home.

"What are you doing?" Lauren's eyes flew open, her head shooting up as she not only felt her wife's hand remove itself but her body as well.

"Patience my love," she smirked sitting up on her knees as she ushered the blonde onto her stomach. Placing a light trail of kisses up her shoulder blade she maneuvered herself back into her previous position. Hands balling into fists full of sheets beside Lauren's head to keep her balance as she nipped and sucked the all too tender and exposed sink of the Queen's neck. Each love bite sending shivers down her spine so much her body continued to arch up an action that cause the succubus to moan against her skin. Since Bo was straddled over her each arch of Lauren's back was like a stroke, a pattern they showed no sign of braking. "You're cheating," she breathed out in another muffled moan.

Relying on her flexibility and what was left of strength in her legs she reached under her wife's trembling body cupping both breasts while she continued sucking on tender skin. Pinching tender pink skin biting down simultaneously Lauren couldn't help but cry out the succubus' name. The sweet, heavy scent of arousal filled her nostrils and even though she was no longer able to tell her own from Lauren's it still worked on her like a drug. Sure being able to see Lauren's aura burning bright, hot enough to the point where she could piratically feel it was beyond arousing. The moans and ravishing touches even more so. But there was something about her scent that was intoxicating, and like her taste it was addictive.

Overwhelmed with the sudden urge to do more then touch she casually slid her hands free while her mouth trailed down the delicate curve of her wife's spine until she reached the small of her back. Smiling against wet skin while her hands slid underneath Lauren's hips ushering her up on to her knees. Bo gave a quick, playful nip to one cheek and then the other, grinning pridefully in the soft cry of pleasure that filled her ears. Soothing each bite with her lips and tongue. She may have had an overpowering desire to do more then just touch but it was against her nature to pass up a chance for the sweet torture of teasing.

Releasing her grip on the blonde's hips as she began to shift herself lower. An action she regretted immediately as Lauren had managed to roll onto her back in record time. Moaning in protest she looked up to find bright green eyes looking back at her. It was something so familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. So intimidating yet beyond arousing at the same time.

"Do you mind?" the succubus found herself glaring, tone slightly harsher then she had intended. Her only answer was Lauren's overly flexible leg moving up over her shoulder, foot resting on her back as she forced her down. "Obviously not," she mumbled softly to herself with a cocky smirk. Deciding she had delivered enough torture to them both she pushed what was left of the teasing desires aside.

Lauren's body wracked with tremors of pleasure. Her body felt so tight and sore, every inch of her body burning up. Every muscle worked beyond it's limit and then some. When they had moved their make out session to the bed it was supposed to be just that and for a while it was. Tender kisses and sweet pointless talk that's only point was to make heated cuddling less awkward. And then somewhere between her constant playful teasing of her wife and Bo's constant testing the boundaries they found themselves here.

Seven hours of a nonstop dance between pure love-making and pure fucking. One satisfying the tender longing between the two while the other served the animistic nature that laid deep within. This being the first time she was having trouble keeping the balance. She wanted to give in once again pleasing her wife, cumming immediately for her yet there was a part of her that wanted to prolong this as long as possible. Despite how sore, weak and exhausted her body had become the feel of Bo's tongue inside of her, mouth atop of her while skilful hands ravished her body brought enough pleasure to want it never to stop.

Pulling back she looked up and locked her feral gaze with a desperate one. Reaching down she thrust his hands under Bo's arms and pulled her up to hungrily kiss her luscious mouth. Letting her equally trembling body drop atop of her wife's she deepened the kiss with every ounce left of passion in her body. Without breaking the feverish kiss Lauren turned them so her succubus was beneath her, Bo hands entangling themselves in blonde locks.

"Your intoxicating," Lauren whispered breathlessly against the woman's lips. The succubus smiling shyly there was something so raw about the complement that made butterflies flutter in her stomach. "Exquisite," she continued to move her body subtly against the brunette's though it was more of a desire to keep contact rather then a way to continue their sexual extravaganza. And an extravaganza it was she had finally lost count after thirty-four orgasms for herself and thirty-nine for Bo and that was only within the first thirty minutes or so. "Angelic," Bo couldn't help the soft giggle that escaped her at the last complement just the fact that herself and angelic would be in the same sentence was baffling.

"I'm already yours you don't need to work so hard," Lauren's body fell still her head lifting. Lustful, animalistic eyes fading away as deep, welcoming hazelnut ones took their place.

"Bo you are beyond beauty, beyond words-"

"I think that's the multiple upon multiple upon multiple orgasms talking," she chuckled finally letting her hands drop from silky locks to Lauren's back.

"No,"

"Yes,"

"Bo," she said this time with a base to her voice made the succubus' chuckling halt. "Sometimes it's easy to forget how tender you are,"

"What?" her voice broke suddenly finding herself feeling very vulnerable. Instinctively her head drew back against the pillow when Lauren leaned down lips hovering over her ear.

"I love you,"

"You know even after all this time every time you say that I still get butterflies." smiling as her wife went between nuzzling and kissing the nape of her neck.

"Me too. Every touch, kiss, look," trailing off she lifted her head just enough to see Bo's face. "Thought."

"Why Doctor keep it up and I might say you have an obsession,"

"I'm well aware,"

"You have to stop," she sighed heavily pressing her head back against the pillow.

"What?"

"In a hour or two we're gonna have to get up and deal with the world and your going to go back to having a—significant other and I know I said I'm okay with it and I am. Well not really but I'm going to deal but there's just to much happening right now. To much sex, too much touching and kissing and cuddling, too much sweet talk. I-"

"Skylar,"

"Um?"

"It's Skylar who I'm with,"

"The bitch from hell?" her head shot up brow furrowed.

"She's actually rather sweet,"

"Right and I'm Santa,"

"That would explain your affection for red," Lauren sat up sighing to herself, her once euphoria clouded mind slowly clearing.

"Why her?"

"Bo,"

'I'm just asking,"

"Because she was strong and persistent and reminded me of you,"

"Well if that's the only reason you're with her then," trailing off as she slithered across the bed working her head into Lauren's lap. "I'm back,"

"What happened to maturity?"

"Orgasms. Multiple ones,"

"You," she couldn't help but roll her eyes as a smile forced it's way onto her lips. Leaning down she captured Bo's pouty lips in a series of kisses. "I love you and last night—this morning was amazing. But I can't abandon what I said,"

"I know," continuing to pout she rolled onto her side hiding her face against Lauren's stomach.

"I want too though," Lauren whispered under her breath with a sense of sadness as she played in her wife's hair. Bo was sure she had heard what had been said but then again she wasn't sure if it was just her mind hearing what it wanted. Wrapping her arms around the woman's waist she closed her eyes enjoying what was left of their time.

**Unknown**

"You're making a mess," Danni let out flatly leaning against the door frame chewing the straw to her McDonald's cup while watching the Puppeteer stand in a large pool of blood.

"You made a bigger one," his scrawny form turned around to face her, child like whine hanging off every word. His signature kill may have peeked her interest but everything about the man from his thick Alabama accent to his light brown shaggy hair cut that covered what his scraggly beard didn't of his face. Her eyes shifted from him up to the ceiling where blood continued to drop from. Two separate naked female bodies hung lifelessly.

"Yeah, but that's me."

"And?"

"And you are not me,"

**Compound-Skylar's Office**

"Hey," Lauren greeted with a weak smile seeing Ty approaching.

"Mm-hm,"

"You okay?" she looked over her shoulder as he passed her, not even bothering to glance in her direction. Shaking the brush off from her mind she forced on a smile and pushed the woman's door open. Her eyes danced over the lump that was Skylar hunched over her desk full of gruesome photos and sheets of papers some of which had slipped from the desk top to the floor.

"I'm up," the woman muttered as she slowly rose her head from the desk, eyes at half mass. "Hey, I'm up."

"You look it,"

"Long night," rubbing her face with her hands she desperately tried to pull her mind from the brief comforts of sleep. "With the church killings and then the body drop,"

"Church killings?" Lauren's brow rose making her way to the edge of the desk.

"Yeah didn't Ty fill you in when he saw you?"

"He didn't even say good morning,"

"I meant last night," Skylar let out flatly as she brought herself to her feet stretching out her arms trying to regain feeling. Lauren stood silent for a moment debating weather or not to say she hadn't seen him and realizing he had lied to cover for her. Feeling yet another tsunami sized wave of guilt she nodded.

"Oh yeah I completely forgot I didn't get much sleep last night," she continued to smile at the woman as she tried to coax herself into feeling better about the lie. After all the latter half had been true so that counted for something—or at least she told herself.

"You forgot about a massacre in a church?"

_'Shit,' _Lauren thought watching as the skepticism continued to grow in her company. Skylar had maneuvered herself out from behind the desk as was now sitting on the edge facing her with an inquisitive look.

She just stood silent like a deer in headlights waiting for something to happen. On one hand she wanted it over with, wanted out with the secret that she was a lying, cheating girlfriend who had just forged a deal with her wife allow her the opportunity to win her back. But on the other hand she knew what the truth would do to this woman, what it would do to their relationship. And despite everything she wasn't completely convinced by Bo, wasn't completely sure she wanted to end this healthy relationship. Skylar wasn't her wife, she wasn't who she was in love with. She wasn't the woman she'd die for or bend until she broke for. But this was the woman who had been there for her for years, every single day even when she pushed her away. This was the woman who treated her like a goddess. This woman did have a hold on her heart, it would never compare to Bo's but there was one.

"I'm trying to block these things out hun,"

"Well," Lauren took a breath and held it praying that Skylar wasn't going to push the issue. "I hope it worked. I on the other hand didn't have that luxury," she reached to her side blindly picking up a couple photos to make her point. "I missed you last night,"

"I missed you too," she said with a weak smile. It wasn't a complete lie she had missed her in fact she hadn't realized how much until this moment. Lauren felt another twinge of guilt pulling at her realizing this woman had been up all day and night researching her daughter's killing. All the while she was up stairs seducing Bo or getting seduced by her. She wasn't completely sure which way the sentence should have gone but something told her it didn't really matter which way she said it, the end result stayed the same.

"If you say so," it was meant to be a joke but yet it still ended up as a light jab to the Queen's feelings.

**Unknown**

"What do you want?" Danni tossed her empty cup to the floor, left brow raising at the shadowy figure that stood in the middle of the open space she had claimed as her own.

"It seems as though your obsession with your mother has gotten the better of you,"

"And how would that be?"

"You're getting sloppy,"

"Getting sloppy? Jackass she knows who's doing the killing, she knows who I am. What were you going for a surprise ending? A big Usual Suspects reveal?"

"They are going to find you,"

"And?"

"And it isn't time for that yet," the distorted voice grew louder yet Danni just stared blankly at it.

"None of them and I mean none not even Bo will be able to take me. My mother would be the only one who would come close and they won't let her. Between boning Bo and Robo Cop, my manically depressed brother along with his brown nosing, mosey girlfriend and Shaq, my mother is lucky she can still use the bathroom alone."

"I set you free,"

"No you popped in and out of my cell for months like some loser without a life which apparently hasn't changed," she looked him up and down while walking to the window turning her back on him. "**I **got myself out I could have any time I wanted." turning back around to face him. "You just gave me a reason. I'm doing what you wanted. You're getting the results you so desperately wanted what does it matter what my methods are?"

"It matters because if they get you caught you won't finish what I need."

"Relax Smokey, everything is on it's course."

**Compound-Security Briefing Room **

Bo walked into the room which fell silent, everyone turning to face her. Awkwardly smiling she found herself turning pink at all of the attention. The impromptu meeting had started ten minutes ago yet with being away so long and the fact the building had been added onto she had managed to get herself lost. There we so many additions to offices and positions she had a hard time telling where anything was let alone who did what.

The room wasn't more then a fifty feet by fifty feet, a television screen hung in the corner stuck on a muted CNN. A dry erase board covered the back wall where Skylar stood with her red marker in hand. The succubus' eyes stayed on the board a moment. In the far right corner of it a big circle with the word Asylum written in it then lower down the broad two more circles one with hotel written in it while the other said park. Smirking to herself, to her Skylar was nothing more then a rent-a-cop playing detective and for some reason the all-to-official board only added to the hilariousness of it. There were four rows of five simple fold out seats, the first row having Ty on the right end while Lauren sat on the left. Then in the second to last row sat Kenzi, Sean and Mila. She had contemplated sitting with them but opted on the side of caution sitting on the corner chair closet to her.

"Here is where the church slayings were, and two blocks from here a single human cop was found with his neck snapped. Since there is a lack of theatrics to the kill it is still undetermined if it's related," Skylar continued drawing her circles on the board. "And at three-fifteen this morning there was a call for an eight body drop on Keller street." another circle.

"Well don't get me wrong they're some nice circles very well put together although I think the one for the hotel is more of an oval but who cares right?" Bo leaned back against the chair backing, folding one leg over the other. "But it means nothing. What's your point? They're all in a relatively close area? No shit, Danni is making this personal of course shes going to stay close."

"Around here we put a little brain power behind out detective work we don't just wing it as we go,"

"Always worked for me,"

"Yeah but how many people paid the price for that,"

"Was there anything interesting about the body drop?" Lauren cut in knowing that without interference these two would go on all day or at least until one of them made it physical.

"Out of eight seven were human nothing special about them seemingly obvious kills of the Ripper. The seventh though was Kennith Rodgers."

"The singer—wait Kenny Rodgers was Fae?"

"No." Skylar glared irritation written over her face as Kenzi just shook her head. "Kennith Rodgers is the Ripper."

"Slightly above boring but still if Danni wants to kill off the two killers that's doing our job for us. Don't see what the big deal is."

"Maybe if you shut up for ten seconds and let me finish not only would you know but we'd be done," Bo couldn't help but smirk as she nodded her head giving unrequired permission.

"Turns out Kenny boy has been dead for days, didn't make it but ten hours after the escape. **AND," **her eyes shot to Bo who's smirk grew further seeing she had gotten more to the woman then she had thought. "why that is of interest is because that would mean-"

"That he couldn't have been the one to do the murders at the hotel or likely any of the other assumed victims." Lauren's heavy sigh almost completely drowned out the last word.

"There has to be a mistake Danni may be capable of doing this mentally but she doesn't have the strength," Bo stood making her way toward the board earning herself the biggest 'what-the-fuck-do-you-think-you're-doing' look from Skylar she had ever seen in her life. "Unless we think Danni was lifting some padded weights in her padded cell."

"The evidence doesn't lie,"

"Maybe you just don't know how to read it," Bo's eyes shifted from Lauren to Skylar.

"Maybe you don't know Danielle as well as you think you do,"

"You think you know my daughter better then I do?"

"At this point in time yeah I do,"

"Bo," Lauren said grabbing both of their attention. "Skylar has done several visits, profiles and papers on Danni. She's gone over every piece of evidence since this began."

"So that means she knows our daughter better then us?"

"Yes, unless you've been paying her visits within the last ten years." Bo's eyes narrowed at the potshot. "You may not like her, you may not like the fact that she knows more then us about Danni now but it won't change the fact. She's studied her, the crime scenes and is good at her job."

"Well Sherlock what's next then," folding her arms leaning against the board. "Impress me."

"Sweetheart don't confuse me with one of your gutter rat, corner trash skanks—I could give a flying fuck about impressing you."

"Skylar please," Lauren once again acting a the referee between the two.

"I feel like we're stuck in a Taylor Swift album. She loves one, she hates one. She loves them both, she wants neither. She wants them both but she hates them both. Back and forth, back and forth." Kenzi leaned against the back of her chair letting her head fall back eyes focusing on the tiles of the ceiling. "I love you—leave me alone. I hate you—don't leave me," Sean couldn't help the building chuckle.

"Who's Taylor Swift?" Mila whispered looking at the two with genuine confusion that just made the two continue chuckling.

"If the pattern holds the kills will start to mimic the Puppeteer," Ty spoke his lack of sleep and weighing conscious getting the better of his patience. "I don't think she ever wanted to take anyone with her but she did and began regretting it soon after."

"No she had a reason, no matter how bloody or random her killings are they always have a point. They always have," Lauren spoke up. "I think the lack of reason, of purpose behind these men's kills annoy her. Danni gets a rush from a kill, enjoys it to an unnatural point but she thinks of her kills as art. I don't know why she took them at all but I think she's found a way to gain something from it."

"Lauren you really going to sit there and entertain the idea that Danni could rip people apart. Like literally with her bare hands,"

"I was there with her she had no remorse for her killings. If you would have seen the sight at the asylum you would understand,"

"I'm not defending her. If it was knife kills or broken necks or I don't know—beaten to death okay yeah I can get on board but you want me to believe this tiny girl who weighs no more then one-twenst soaking wet can rip a body apart. Rip bone from bone, flesh and muscles and things I don't even know to include in there?"

"Danni was abnormally strong before, if you take into account the fact that she might be feeding continuously or if there were effects from-"

"Effects from what?" Bo's eyes continued to bounce between the two blondes.

"Danielle has seemed to have a connection to me while Sean seems to have one to you. After the ascension then," Lauren's voice like her gaze dropped to the floor a rush of pure shame and guilt washing over her.

"What are you talking about we stopped before-?" Bo's eyes shifted from her wife to the back row where the three shared Lauren's evasion technique. Looking over to Ty and Skylar who just glared. "Oh okay so everyone but me gets to know?"

"Should have dropped a line or something in the past thrity-six hundred or so days,"

"If I didn't think you'd jump at the chance I'd tell you to blow me, sweetheart." Bo barked though her eyes never left her wife. A new feeling of betrayal washing over her. In all the time they had spent together after everything that had happened last night this was how she had to find out about this.


	13. Nature

**Chapter Twelve : Nature **

"Talk about a nominee for biggest blindside of the year award or hell maybe even the decade," despite the considerable amount of anger she kept her tone even and voice low as she followed her wife down the main hall.

"I can think of one that topped it,"

"God!" snorting she shook her head glaring at a guard who had taken an interest in the conflict. "Seriously we're really just gonna go back to where we were. What about last night? I thought we made progress, I thought that things were moving forward,"

"They were—are,"

"Then how the hell do I find something like this out in a room full of people? Not even from you,"

"Bo it was ten years ago I've gotten over it."

"Wait a minute here,"

"Shh," Lauren's feet firmly planted themselves on the ground her eyes narrowed as she stared at her wife.

"Last night it was a whole ten years isn't that long for people like us and I'm not over the pain cause it feels like yesterday," though she obliged and lowered her voice she didn't hesitate to mimic her wife while giving a butchered quote. "But conveniently this is different,"

"I swear you go from a grown woman to a three year old in a blink of any eye," huffing the blonde turned away continuing to walk toward her office silently praying that no one was paying enough attention to hear them.

"This is serious Lauren I'm sorry I can't just shrug it off," glaring she pushed past her wife into the office. "It's not like I found out you ate the last bowl of Frosted Flakes,"

"But that's the problem Bo. Yeah this is a serious issue and what is your first reaction? To throw a temper tantrum, if it isn't something as inconsequential as Frosted Flakes you have this type of reaction. This was our problem and apparently it hasn't changed,"

"Fine!" clenching her fists she turned around leaning against the ledge of the desk taking a deep breath. "Fine you're right let's talk calmly about this,"

"Don't patronize me,"

"I'm not I'm just still angry and this is as censer as I can sound at the moment. I thought I stopped—or we or—look I just thought before you completed the transformation thing that it was stopped,"

"What were you expecting me to grow horns and a tail?"

"Well-yeah you know what maybe! I don't get many invites to these ascensions parties so I don't know what was supposed to happen. I figured something a little less anti-climatic at least,"

"Sorry Bo next one I'll make sure to add some theatrics,"

"Har-har-har very funny. Wait next one?"

"Sense the sarcasm," Lauren's head tilted to left her brow raising as she folded her arms across her chest. "For someone full of nifty one liners you sure have a problem picking up on them,"

"Nifty?"

"It's a word,"

"Yeah. From the fifties,"

"Technically it originated in the early nineteenth centenary **and** was made popular again in the sixties and seventies,"

"Do you just sit around reading dictionaries for fun?" even though her annoyance was steadily building she couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm being honest like does it get you off to make everyone around you feel stupid," Lauren found her mouth opening a harsh comment hanging on the tip of her tongue just begging to come out. Running her hand through her hair she forced a smile and shook her head.

"Let's not do this,"

"Fine,"

"Fine,"

"Fine," Bo glared as silence fell over them. "Well what now?"

"I don't know, I don't remember the last time a fight of ours ended so civilly I'm dumbfounded."

"That's a first,"

"Couldn't let it go could you,"

"I was just making an observation," Bo stuck her tongue out at her wife.

"Real mature,"

**Compound-Outside **

"Hey wait up!" Sean came to a reluctant halt at the hollering sound of Skylar's yell. "Didn't you hear me callin' after you?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay," she looked the young man up and down wondering what the new found passive aggressiveness was about. The duo had never been the closest but there had been several times when they had shared a bonding moment or two. "Where are you going?"

"Are you my mother now?"

"You know what never mind,"

"Wait," he clenched his jaw swallowing his pride as his guilt got the better of him. "I'm going to the parking lot to meet up with Mila she can't find her phone." subtly he waved his hand out in front of him in a halfassed invite to join him.

"Look I have nothing but respect for your mother-"

"Respect? Is that what they're calling it now a days?"

"But I think when it comes to you her opinion is slightly clouded," she continued not bothering with his snarky comment or chuckle. "She doesn't want you out there and I understand it, I even respect it but we're quickly losing ground,"

"Hm this may not have been as big of waist of my time as I thought,"

"Did I do something to you?"

"No,"

"Then what's with the fuck-off attitude you got going?"

"Maybe if you payed this much attention to my mother instead of myself and this case then my mom wouldn't be weaseling her way back into our lives,"

"You think I should focus more on my relationship then on catching killers?"

"I think we have more then enough people out there and in here working that maybe you don't need to do everything,"

"Sean I think maybe you should have a discussion with Bo rather then taking your pent up mommy issues on me,"

"Sure. And when you find yourself with your pants around your ankles girlfriend-less and having to take orders from the woman who stole her don't bitch to me,"

"Am I missing something here?"

"Look I don't have any warm fuzzy feelings for ya' but you're a means to an end. You keep my mom from lying her way back into our lives."

"Bo is your mother too,"

"Yeah I remember her being there at the soccer games, basketball games. Every dinner, every time to lay me down to bed all the while making sly comments about how unhappy she was with mother. You know what went down when shit hit the fan? I was there I saw the shit fall apart and my mom well she played it cool, lied like nobodies business about how we were all gonna be okay. But you now what I saw? I saw her telling lies and then turning around and giving in. And no thanks to her when shit semi worked out and all the pieces were left to be picked up—she bolted. She didn't even look back,"

"Sean,"

"My mom is a great liar, she will tell you everything you want to hear. She'll tell you everything you need to hear and no matter how much you know the truth eventually you give in and when she falls back into her nature you're left alone. But then again my mom is like that story with the snake and the mouse,"

"Excuse me?" Skylar glared over at him slightly taken back by the usually calm and collected boy's unraveling.

"Yeah the mouse is at the rim of the woods and for some bullshit reason I can't remember needs to get somewhere deep within. Well the snake comes by and convinces the mouse he'll get him where he needs to go. Now the mouse knows he shouldn't and through this whole long ass walk they're bullshitting and what not he has a nagging feeling but ignores it. Well they get about twenty feet from where he needs to be, and this little naive fucker is thinking man I was wrong. So he says his thank yous and whatnot and then turns his back on the snake. Bam snake lays into him and right before Mr. Mouse dies he asks why and the snake laughs a chilling laugh and says well Mr. Mouse I am a snake it's simply my nature."

"And you think Bo is the snake?"

"It's simply her nature to run. I'd rather not have my mother have to pick up the pieces when Bo decides it's enough responsibility for her. I don't know how many times my mother can do it,"

**Compound-Lauren's Office**

"Have you talked to Sean lately?" Lauren asked taking a seat on the floor next to Bo who was arranging various crime scene photos.

"Um yeah,"

"Went that good?"

"Well he didn't try to kill me so I'll take what I can get." sharing a quiet laugh the two couldn't help but take turns stealing glances. "He has you're passive aggressive technique down to an art,"

"Yeah. I never realized how infuriating that could be,"

"You have no idea," Bo's smirk earned her a playful swat to her arm not that she was complaining at the contact. "I learned how to get around it though,"

"What piss me off until I couldn't be passive anymore?" this time it was Bo who playfully gave her wife a push.

"Was it that obvious? No—no I just learned when and where to push, what questions to ask and which ones not too."

"Really? I remember just a lot of antagonizing until I lost my temper,"

"Well sometimes that was the only way to get you to talk,"

"I'm not oppose to regular conversation-"

"No I just—when we fight yeah it can get bad and we get hurt but we always found a way to come through it. Always found a way back to each other but when you were passive it—you wouldn't talk or even look at me."

"So you'd rather fight me then have me not talk to you?" Lauren couldn't help but laugh as she shuffled through a set of photos. Her laughter subsided the longer there was a silence, her eyes shifted from the photos in her hand to her wife who's features were riddled with a embarrassed sadness.

"Is it that funny?"

"N-no Bo I just-" she swallowed back the lump in her throat a twinge of guilt pulling at her.

"You fighting me it showed you cared enough to fight me. You fighting me was something I knew how to handle, it was something I knew the outcome. Sure there were some nights where we didn't end up in bed together or we didn't make up right away but when we fought we always found a way back into each others arms."

"Bo,"

"It wasn't until we stopped fighting that we fell apart."

"I don't know I remember a lot of fight toward the end," placing the pictures down needing to look away from the succubus' brokenhearted gaze. She may have continued to try and shrug it off but the fact was she knew exactly what Bo was talking about.

"Yeah," clearing her throat she finally looked away.

**Compound City-Parking Lot A**

Skylar walked silent next to Sean who didn't seem to care much as he had slipped into his own thoughts. She wanted to shake off his words, his warnings but like a snake his words slithered into the deepest places of her mind and made a home. She wanted to believe that he was having nothing more then mommy issues with Bo and that's all this was. She wanted to believe that Lauren wouldn't cheat, she wouldn't throw away all of their history so easily. She knew she wasn't the perfect woman nor was she the best girlfriend but she was there when it mattered. She had been the shoulder to cry on every time Lauren had needed one. She had been the protector professionally and personally for years even when it wasn't asked. She had help mend this broken woman. She had to believe that mattered, that it counted for something.

But she also was a smart woman maybe not a genius when it came to books and things of that nature but when it came to instincts, to real life she was above most. She had to look at the bigger picture that Lauren was married to Bo they had far more history then Skylar had with her. She had to remember all the times when she found Lauren broken over the news of Bo's adventures. She had to remember the times when Lauren had called her Bo. She had to remember how Lauren would shy away from certain subjects. She had to remember that no matter how many mommy issues Sean had, he had no reason to make up such lies.

The sound of a near up tempo call from Sean brought her from her thoughts. Looking up at the young man she saw the smile pulling at the corners of his lips, a certain sparkle to his eyes. No one was supposed to know about him and Mila but it was obvious if you payed any attention to them. She did have to give it to them though they did a better job then most at keeping it quiet. She followed his line of sight to the dark blue Toyota a few feet ahead.

"What is she doing?" Skylar tilted her head trying to get a better look at the woman who sat seemingly motionless in the front seat.

"I don't know," he chuckled now mimicking his company though the lowering sun proved to be an obstacle. "On the phone I think?"

"Maybe I-" she felt the wind knocked out of herself as she noticed a small pool of dark liquid under the driver's side door. "Shit," she let out under her breath before taking off full speed toward the car leaving a slightly confused Sean to do the same.

"Mila!" her name escaped his lips as he frantically pulled at the handle that wouldn't open.

"Break it,"

"What,"

"Break the fucking glass,"

Cocking back his elbow he slammed it against the glass the first hit like the second not leaving a mark. The glass to her car like anyone in the Queen's inner circle had been specially designed glass to with stand massive amounts of damage. Not from only things human related but Fae as well, he had in fact been the test subject when they were designing him. It had taken him thirty-four blows in the testing phase and earned him a severely broken hand and elbow. The memory played on a sped up loop as tears streamed down his cheeks, his blows doing nothing. After the seventh hit Skylar pulled him back wrapping her arm around his back while his went over his shoulder. Sharing the same thought they stepped back just enough to be able to extend their legs. The first joint kick was able the crack the glass and then the next smashed through. Letting go of the woman he pulled the lock open and then the door.

"No, no, no," he repeated to himself as he pulled Mila from the drivers seat taking her into his arms. Falling back onto the ground he held her tight with his right arm while his left hand went to her bloody throat. The slash had been deep enough to see but it wasn't deep enough to kill her though the blood loss was. "Come on baby,"

"Is something wrong?" one of two approaching guards asked.

"Where the fuck were you two?" Skylar walked out toward them. "Call an ambulance! Get a fucking doctor! Do something!" she stood to the side running her hand through her hair looking from the guards to the two lovers repeatedly. On the fourth time of her attention shift she spotted a small, black figure standing a hundred or so feet off in the distance between two cars. "She wouldn't be that ballsy," she calmly pushed past Sean and out from the cars but still no movement. "She wouldn't," speaking again to herself she made it across to the next row of cars. Staring harder at the figure she couldn't help but pick up on familiarity of the stance. The black attire and the way the hood fell covering more then half of the face. "I'll be damned," As if Danni had known her move before Skylar did she took off running, and without hesitation the blonde followed.

**Compound-Lauren's Office **

"When did you start wearing your glasses so much," the succubus' leaned back unto her hands while stretching her legs out feet just inches short of reaching Lauren.

"Since my amount of paper work has gone from one million sheets a day to seven million,"

"Ah okay thought it might be one of those image things,"

"What would you think I was going for?"

"Sexy librarian?"

"I don't think I look that tame,"

"No you're right you look more like the sexy dominatrix in the pron videos right before they rip their clothes off and magically summon a whip out of thin air,"

"I see," Lauren's brow tightened as she found herself staring blankly at her company. "I'm not even going to ask why you know that scenario,"

"I'm a succubus-don't judge me," she giggled as her cheeks began to turn a shade of pink. "Seriously stop judging I can feel it,"

"You can feel me judging you?"

"Yes as a matter of fact,"

"I see," she rolled her eyes while trying not to let out the laugh she had been holding. "Well if you've been holding onto that fantasy..."

"Yes?" she sat up, a devilish smirk coming into play.

"You can forget it."

"Aww," Bo put on her best pout as she maneuvered herself onto all fours, crawling over to Lauren who couldn't help but giggle. "Don't be such a prude,"

"Prude? Is that what I am..." she trailed off turning to face her wife which unintentionally put their lips just an inch or two from each other but neither backed away. "I don't remember ever hearing a complaint from you,"

"Cause I never had any," Bo found herself falling in, she was desperately trying to be the mature adult and not push things but there was just something about Lauren that engulfed her. No matter what she always found herself being pulled toward her. But the choice was no longer her's as the door flew open with a thud. Six large men in full swat gear rushing in.

"My Queen," the one in the middle said dropping only his head. "The walls have been breached, multiple casualties including your assistant."

"What?" Lauren nearly jumped to her feet. "Is she alive? Where is my son?"

"Ma'am I don't know,"

"Was it Danni?"

"Ma'am I don't know that either,"

"What do you know?"

"Ma'am the reports haven't stopped coming in even as we speak the toll is rising. Three civilians, your assistant, sev—eight guards. Skylar's status is unconfirmed,"

"What do you mean unconfirmed?" Bo asked now on her feet.

"There are several reports she has gone down and several reports that say she is in pursuit and has just left the city walls."

"I need to get to my son," Lauren let out to no one in particular as she headed for the door though not a single guard showed a sign of moving.

"Ma'am I can't let you leave."

"The hell you can't,"

"We all have our jobs and we are all doing them. Mine is to keep you safe by any means necessary. Your son's guards have been deployed I am sure he is safe," running her hands through her hair she looked from the men to Bo who had made her way to her side. "I'm sorry ma'am but I can't,"

"Yeah." Bo reached out to touch her wife's arm only to be brushed off as she stomped back to her desk. The succubus' attention shifted back to the men who were moving into the office completely, shutting the door behind themselves.

**Unknown**

She darted down street after street dodging innocent bystanders, jumping through cars stopped at the red lights for six o'clock rush hour. She had made it through the parking lot, over the wall and down six streets before Danni was able to pull far enough ahead that she could no longer see her. But lack of a visual nor the burning in her lungs and feet was enough to keep her from continuing to make navigational decisions on instinct. Four more streets of nothing but random bystanders had her contemplating going back after all it was beyond stupid to chase after this particular subject without back up but what was done was done. Coming to a stop she leaned over hands going to her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Looking up she caught a glimpse of Danni and again the chase was on for another street until the girl made a sharp turn.

Coming to the start of the alley she found Danni at the other end staring back at her. Taking deep breaths she took small steps further into the alley though her target didn't move. She reached to her hip but found her gun was missing. Mentally kicking herself she smirked clenching her fists. She knew trying to take this particular girl on herself was probably the stupidest choice she was ever going to make but then again what choice did she have.

"You just gonna stand there?" yet again she knew taunting wasn't the best idea but it was her way of coping. She couldn't remember a time in her five hundred year life when she was as scared as she was in this moment. "Your mother didn't mention you were a mute," this earned a reaction as Danni brought her hands up, pushing down her hood. "I see why you wear the hood, if I resembled Bo as much as you do I'd probably do the same thing," Danni tilted her head to the left snorting at the comment.

In the blink of an eye Skylar found herself standing alone. Swallowing her throat suddenly dry she took another step forward eyes searching everything in sight. That was until she felt her body freeze, the hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention. She couldn't help but snort at herself for making the rookie mistake. Not even bothering to try and turn the last thing she felt was a sharp pain going through her head before everything went black.


	14. Under Your Skin

A.N. Okay guys I'm back this break wasn't supposed to be as long as it was so I do apologize. This chap is much shorter then you've been use to with this story but I needed to write it to get back into things and this part while needing to further along the story just didn't fit in with the next chap I'm very finicky with how my chaps start and finish. Also thank you to those who pmed me to see if I was okay sorry if i didn't respond had problems with my desktop and internet. The next chaps with resume the normal length and the story should be back on track.

Also just a fyi the story is planning to be longer then twenty chaps so with some things coming up from this chap to the next two I don't want you to think I made you wait a month for just the last 2 or 3 chaps.

Happy 4th to American readers and a Happy Belated Canada Day to Canadian readers.

As always please R&R, I love your feedback and if have anything you wanna see there are some chaps coming up with will aim towards fluffy/sexy time so if you have a request I aim to please.

**Chapter Thirteen : Under Your Skin**

"I won't..." she wanted to finish the sentience, wanted to keep her resolve and the tough girl front she had worked so hard to achieve through the years. But three hours at the depraved mercy of the Queen's daughter proved to be to much even for her.

Her head hanged forward heavy eyes focused on nothing other then a small puddle of blood that grew slowly with each drop of blood the fell from her face. Unable to find the strength or courage to look up at the girl in front of her who was dancing between reality and her own world. Dancing between delivering brutal bouts of torture and actually dancing around the space to the music that played in the back ground on a loop of the same six songs. When her resolve began to dissipate she took comfort in the music focusing in on the lyrics replying them in her head taking her mind somewhere that wasn't here but it was a tactic that Danielle allowed only for so long. She wanted to look at herself and assess the damage she knew beyond a doubt was catastrophic but it was one more thing she found herself lacking the courage to do.

Every inch of her skin burned, every centimeter of her body throbbed in pain if it wasn't a barrage of cuts some deep others not then it was the various broken bones. She was sure at some point her shin bone had broken so bad that it had come through the skin. She was sure she no longer had skin on her wrists or ankles from how much she had fought against the quadruple wrapped wire around them. She was sure she'd never be able to completely open her right eye again with how bad the bones surrounding had been broken. There were so many things she was sure of, things she wouldn't be able to do anymore. Things she wouldn't even be allowed to dream of anymore.

Not that she would ever admit it but the notion of giving in was beginning not only to creep in but she began to entertain it. She had read somewhere once that a person gave up, gave in that the likely hood of death increased by tenfold. With every passing second another doubt crept into the forefront of her mind each making it easier and easier to accept the notion. After all she had seen Mila there was no doubt that even if Lauren had managed to finagle her way away from the droves of guards that no doubt had run to find her then she was undoubtedly by Sean's side. She knew Lauren wouldn't be looking for her, Bo sure as hell wouldn't be. There was no logical equation that ending with someone coming to her rescue or even knowing she was gone for another couple of hours.

And that thought right there was worse then any physical pain Danielle could inflict. She was completely alone and without hope.

"I won't tell you anything," her voice cracked on and in between every word but she managed to get it out although the faint sense of pride she felt at her mustered strength vanished as the hearty laugh from the young girl echoed in her ears.

"Tell me? What do you think you know that I don't already?"

"I-"

"I? I? I? I? Come on Skyily baby strap on a pair," she grabbed at herself with her right hand grunting in an overly vulgar impression of a man. "My mother picks the most pathetic, emotionally retarded, beaten with the ugly stick one to many times women. God!" the sudden erupt of anger was just a sudden and unexpected as was her kicking a chair across the open space. "She needs someone-"

"Like you?" the girl's head turned to the side away from the newly broken pieces of wood that laid on the floor to the beaten woman who lifted her head just enough to get a glimpse of her surroundings. "Or do you mean you,"

"You're confusing me with my brother," suddenly the playfulness in her voice was gone replaced with something far scarier.

"A-am I?" Skylar spit the mouthful of blood out while pushing through the pain and forcing herself to fully look up. "Isn't that what the doctors at the loony-bin figured out? That all of your yelling and accusing your brother of having inappropriate feelings for your mother was just you projecting."

"Shut up,"

"That you have a deep obsession with her unlike anything they had seen before,"

"Enough," she order through a clenched jaw, eyes narrowing control obviously slipping away from her.

"That all of this hasn't been about punishing her but sick love letters," unable to stand the pain any longer she let her head fall again a weak smile over her lips. "Why you go after Bo and Sean and me...we're competition,"

"You think you can get under my skin?" Danni tried to keep herself under control though she was failing and they both knew it. "Maybe you can. Congratulations," pausing she walked over to the little stand where her radio sat. Reaching behind she picked up a seven inch blade in one hand and an already lit blow torch. "But so can I,"

**Lauren's Office**

"I need to get out. I need to get to my son." Lauren repeated for the hundredth time within the hour from her desk, head in hands.

"There isn't a command requirement Lauren no matter how many times you say it, it won't change the outcome." Bo grunted frigging in her chair her patience finally wearing thin with her wife. "What's your name?" she looked over her shoulder at the main man who stood at attention in the same exact position he had since arriving. They had reminded her of the guards in England and had this been any other occasion she would have been trying everything in her power to break their concentration. "Come on you can at least tell me your name," this time she stood up and strutted over to him.

"Is this really the time to be looking for bed time snacks?" Lauren glared.

"It's just your name," she batted her lashes ignoring her wife.

"Washington, Ma'am"

"Hell of a first name I like it though," she smiled leaning in toward him. "Strong,"

"It's his last name,"

"Care to tell me your first," the succubus continued her flirtatious mission trying to ignore the constant interruptions of her wife.

"Denzel, Ma'am."

"Even better-" her brow raised head tilting.

"My mother had a funny sense of humor Ma'am,"

"I like it. He use to be-"

"Jesus Bo," Lauren stood up hands hitting the desk top. "He is unaffected by a succbi's power. In fact he is unaffected by most Fae abilities thus why he is in the position he's in. If it was that simple don't you think I would have tried that hours ago?"

"You want to get out of here right?" turning back toward the guard she smiled apologetically.

"I am not your enemy Ma'am I am simply trying to keep you safe," he let out though his eyes stayed forward it was obvious he wasn't speaking to Bo.

"I know Zel it's okay,"

"Zel? Do you just go around giving nicknames to all of the help," shaking her head she turned back to the man with yet another apologetic smile. "No offense,"

"None taken. If I fell as low as you in the 'help' food chain I would be irritable as well, Honorary Ambassador." Lauren couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped at the comment.

"Honorary? Really Honorary?"

"It's not like you were doing actual work Bo,"

"Still. Do you know how embarrassing it is to go around with the title of **Honorary** Ambassador? It's like an assistant to an assistant to an intern. It's completely embarrassing and degrading, no wonder people looked at me funny at events when I told them my status,"

"I know a little something about embarrassment," settling back in her chair, arms folding across her chest. "Care to compare embarrassing events over the past ten years?"

"How about we not talk,"

"Splendid idea,"

**Saint. Mary's Hospital**

Sean leaned up against the wall eyes zeroed in on the double doors where his future wife had been taken behind hours ago. He hadn't moved a muscle since arriving various staff had asked even ordered him to move but all attempts had failed. He was cover in blood that had long ago dried. Tearing his eyes from the door he looked down at his phone to yet again find no notification. No reply to his thirty-six calls to his mother or seventeen text. Jaw clenching in frustration his wrist had a mind of it's own as he found his phone being flung across the floor.

"Sean,"

"Kenz," he jumped up at the sound of her voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah but—Mila she um-"

"It's okay," letting out softly she opened her arms to the young boy who in this moment looked just as young and as innocent as he had the day he was born. "It's okay," repeating she took the step in taking him in her arms as the tears began to slip from the corners of his eyes. "It'll be okay,"

**Lauren's Office Two Hours Later**

"My Queen,"

Lauren's eyes slowly fluttered open at the familiar yet unfamiliar voice pulling her to consciousness. Raising her head from the desk looking to her side finding Zel standing there, hand on her shoulder no longer wearing his helmet. Mind slowly clearing her eyes moved around the room seeing he was all that was left with the exception of her wife who was still asleep head on the opposite side of her desk.

"There is a car in front ready for the two of you. Your son is at Saint Mary's with Mila. She is still alive but in critical condition, last update said she was still in surgery."

"And Skylar?" Lauren whispered the woman's name unsure if it was just following his lead or being careful not to wake the succubus. Or perhaps she felt a strange sense of guilt asking about the woman with her wife right there. Shaking off the twinge of guilt and confusion she looked back up at the man who's baby soft features were twisted with sadness mixed with fear. "Have you found Skylar yet?"

"No Ma'am, we know she had chased after your daughter we have street cameras that prove it but we lost them."

"So there is a chance she is still alive," the sound of Bo's voice made them both jump. "I'm not as petty as to want to girl dead."

"We haven't found a body in the surrounding blocks of where we had lost confirmation on them,"

"Good," Bo stood up features like stone. "Lets get to the hospital and do our parental duties and then we can hit the drawing board again. Try and find where Danni is,"

Lauren just nodded in compliance standing herself making sure to touch the man gently on his arm before moving past him. The long walk from the office to the car was somewhat haunting among silent and awkward. Only the emergency lights were on while every single door shut. There was no workers, visitors or even guards. One of the country's most busy places had become a ghost town and the eery feeling that was draped over the building followed them out into courtyard. Walking around the car she looked around almost searching for someone but she came up empty yet again.

"This was the last safe place these people had. I failed,"

"We'll find Danni and it will be again,"

"No, no it won't."

"How won't it be?" she was only half paying attention there was just to much going on in the world at the moment. To many emotions, to many worries, to many thoughts, just to much of everything for her to care about soothing Lauren's ego.

"After things like this it never goes back to normal. People never forget the damage that's been caused. No matter how much you try or how much you try to force it you will always remember. That sense of innocence is lost,"

"Maybe you're right," she shrugged slipping into silence as he mind began to drift onto her daughter. "Danni isn't hiding," Bo let out abruptly breaking the silence even though it was more to herself then to her wife. Before her conscious had time to catch up with her sub conscious the car was doing a one eighty the back tire jumping the curb as Lauren slammed into the door. "Should have worn your seat belt," she smirked to herself.


	15. Quality Time

A.N. Here we go back to dark and disturbing, just like I like it. LOL Thank you all who take the time to read, review, follow, and favorite.

Mild to heavy M rating.

**Chapter Fourteen : Quality Time**

**(Bo's Voice Over)**

_'I was told that all you had to do to be a good parent was to keep your child safe and teach them to be better then you. Make sure nothing touches them that shouldn't and you're half way there. Make sure that they are more honest, kindhearted, trustworthy, and didn't make the same mistakes you did and that was it. It sounded so simple, it always sounded so simple and for so long I thought **even** I could do it. _

_For so long my fears weren't fears anymore but strong reminders of what to do. Reminders to make sure I didn't let my child turn out to be as closed minded as my mom or as self absorbed as my mother. A reminder to make sure my child didn't turn out as unreliable and untrustworthy as myself. They were reminders that I never forgot and up until ten years ago I would have bet my life that I had done right. _

_And to a degree an argument could be made that I did do what I was supposed to. She was always safe even to this very moment she is safer then myself or Lauren. She isn't as closed minded as my mom or as self absorbed as my mother. And she isn't unreliable she's done everything she's ever said she was going to do and she hasn't lied about a thing. _

_So if you look at it in a really gray area then I guess I did do my job as a parent. But this one situation unlike the rest of life's problems isn't one that lives in the gray area. This is as black and white as heaven and hell there is no living in between taking what you want from both sides. On the black side of things I had done exactly as I was told and succeeded yet on the white side of things I had failed in every aspect of them. _

_In reality...I just failed. Whoever told me all I had to do to be a good parent was to keep your child safe and teach them to be better then myself lied.'_

Lauren shifted in her seat swallowing yet again at the dryness in her throat, her chest weighting heavier and heavier with each drawn breath. She knew they were going fifty-five, she had stole a look at the speedometer more then once but everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. Even her own movements had felt like it. Everything in her mind was so jumbled, so scrambled but yet there was a strange sense of clarity. Part of her wanted to speak to find comfort in her wife's voice or even find comfort in their arguing that would undoubtedly take her mind away from this, yet she couldn't find her own voice. Every emotion she felt was a contradiction to the next yet with everything spinning out of control and uncertainty in near everything she felt there was one thing she was sure about. One thing she knew was what was going to happen when ever they got to where Bo had been taking them. One way or another someone maybe all of them would be dead tonight. She could feel it in the air, feel it in her bones as sure as she could feel her heart beating beneath her chest.

"She was eight we were on our way home from her soccer game," she spoke while making an unusually soft turn into a dusty driveway between two massive abandon buildings. Even in the darkness of the night Lauren knew they were at the docks, she had fought for years trying to get them shut down. "I parked the car back there on the street, told her to stay in the car. Made her promise and she did never before had she broken one to me." turning the key the engine shut off and the lights vanished. "I ran in just in time I was able to save the girl. I had seen her being pulled in-but the guy-he was to strong I had no choice but to use the knife he had dropped. I got the upper hand and cut his throat-there was just so much blood everywhere. I turned to leave and saw her just standing there looking at me. There wasn't fear or disgust there was just nothing, it was as if she was watching me clean,"

"Bo,"

"I was troubled by the kill, by all the blood everywhere but she just looked at me like it was nothing. Looked at me as if she was bored, she looks up at me and smiled softly before saying 'don't worry mom he deserved much worse'. I thought that she was trying to comfort me-maybe if I had told you. Maybe if I had payed more attention to-"

"Bo," reaching out her hand lightly draping over her wife's arm just under her elbow but the touch doesn't make the succubus turn instead she looks further away out of her window. "There was so many times that we should have caught signs but-this isn't your fault."

"If it isn't yours and it isn't mine-then who's is it?" turning so teary eyes met teary eyes, the gaze holding longer then either had intended it to.

"E—evil is born evil. Bad people can be made through experiences in life and choices but you can't make evil,"

"And you think she's evil?"

"No," taking a breath she pulled her hand back and let her eyes drift to the steering wheel. "I believe she is evil. I believe it as I believe the sun rises and sets everyday."

"How can you accept that? How can you accept that Danni-" reaching out she cupped the blonde's cheeks forcing her look at her. "How can you accept **our child** is evil,"

"Believing and accepting are two different things," her own voice cracked as she tried to twist from the embrace. "Knowing and accepting are two different things,"

"When you look at me do you see a bad person or an evil person?" Lauren reached up grabbing the succubus' writs her eyes speaking volumes as her lips parted but she couldn't find her voice. After several heartbeats the blonde guided the woman's hands down before breaking off all contact.

"Why are we here?"

"Because we've been looking at this wrong," she swallowed back her tears like her vulnerability as the volumes Lauren refusal to answerer spoke. "We've been going after this like she is someone who doesn't want to get caught. That she wants to cause havoc and watch from afar but never get caught. What if-just what if she wants to be?"

"Caught? Then why run at all,"

"I—I don't know but the people she is taking, the places she is going these aren't things you do if you don't wanna be caught,"

"Or maybe she just thinks she is smarter then us,"

"The body drop happen one warehouse over,"

"If you-"

"I might not be a super important, head of security, century old Fae but I have done my share of investigating," she barked gripping the handle hurt taking the form of frustration. "You use to trust me once,"

"You can't ask me for your trust right now,"

"I'm not asking for your trust as a lover or even friend, I am asking you to trust that I know a little something about tracking someone. That I know something about investigative work."

"Bo," she took a deep breath quickly debating her options. "Then lets go,"

Bo had led the way though her wife was close behind it was more of a you lead and I follow rather then an I'm afraid you go first arrangement. To Bo she remembered this specific place for it's significance but beyond that the rest of her surroundings were faint memories while to Lauren it was just another place that had given her issues. Yet another place in this city that had taken chunks of her life away. Hours of litigations, paperwork, arguments all of which took time she could have used for herself.

"Think she was expecting us," the brunette snorted pointing up at the wall just past the entrance. The entire wall dirty, dusty, moldy among other things with the exception of one lop sided oval section that was painted white with large letters taking up the space.

_'Bo the soul eater-Had a wife and couldn't keep her-_

_Put her in the furnace-And there she kept her very well'_

"Clever," Lauren brushed it off as she pushed past the succubus continuing on their path. Another hundred feet and they came across the same type of design on the opposite side.

_'Succubus sat on a wall-Succubus had a great fall_

_All the Queens horses and all the Queens men_

_Couldn't put succubus' skull together again'_

"And here I thought her fixation was on me," she continued looking over the 'art work' carefully.

"Don't sound so disappointed," Bo's features scrunched as she read the words over.

"This is blood," Lauren ran her hand lightly over the area a faint stickiness to it. "It's recent,"

"Skylar's?"

"I have no way of knowing that. Come on,"

"Did you ever visit her?" Bo asked as they finally made their way to the stairwell.

"No,"

"Not once?"

"I said no,"

"Okay,"

"Do you really want to talk right now?" Lauren asked through a clenched jaw spinning around on the seventh step so fast that had Bo not been gripping the railing she would have fallen backward.

"No you're right we should walk through the dark in silence and only stop to read the creepy, somewhat cleverly worded death threats **toward me**,"

"You don't be such a baby,"

"And you don't have to be such a bitch," Bo jogged up the stairs passing her wife making sure that her shoulder collided with the blonde's.

"That's the worse you got for me?"

"No but I try and make a point of not using the word cunt very often,"

"I'm sure you used it quite a bit with you barrage of whores,"

"You know what I'm the one who's not welcomed and treated like shit from everyone. I'm the one who has death threats plastered over the walls for. And I'm the one who will most likely have to kill **our** child since you've proven you can't. So," she stopped coming to the fifth level's door. "If I need a little fucking conversation to keep me focused on the task at hand I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Especially since all your job now a days seems to consist of is running your mouth,"

"Well excuse me, what would you like to discuss? Global warming, sports news, your sexual escapades? Please pick a topic and I will be more then happy to engage in a conversation," she smirked eyebrow raised while walking past her wife into the door that was currently being held open though doubtful it was being held for her.

Shaking her head to herself she followed her wife's lead somehow yet again no longer leading them. After all she was the one who had figured it out, she was the one who knew this place yet she continued to find herself taking a backseat. The place smelled just worse then she had remembered. The mold, rot and various bodily fluids mixed with fresh salt water, sulfur and oil coming in from the water were all the same. Yet there was another layer of stomach turning scents draped over the already disgusting mixtures. It had been years since she had smelled them but they were unmistakeable. It was the smell of death, of rotting flesh. The smell of fear.

"Shit," she let out to herself at the loud crunch of something beneath her foot. She looked down at the ground but the darkness covered anything under her knees. The sound itself beyond alerting anyone they were there was slightly disturbing. It reminded her of the feeling you got when you walked over the rock salt when there was no snow in gym shoes or in her wife's case high heels. "What is this?"

"I don't know maybe glass or rocks, perhaps something she set up like an alarm system,"

"Of course. Leave it to our kid to set up an alarm system in one of the oldest and most run down buildings in the city," mumbling to herself she saw decent slivers of light shining into the hallway just ten or so feet ahead. "Hold up," coming into the light she leaned against the wall lifting her right leg up to see the bottom of her shoe. Eyes narrowing in on the tiny white substance.

"What is it?" Lauren asked words dripping with annoyance as she subtly dragged her foot across the floor trying to get whatever was stuck in it off.

"It's-aggg," she threw it onto the floor wiping her hand on the side of her pants. "It's a tooth,"

"A tooth, are you sure?"

"I may not be a rocket scientist but I know what a human tooth looks like, I have them."

Lauren this time leaned against the wall refusing to ask Bo for help. Trying her best to keep balance and lift her leg she couldn't help but be thankful she had decided to go with the pantsuit rather then the usual skirt. Unfortunately she did decide to go with the heels which at the moment was her biggest annoyance. Taking a calming breath she let her leg drop.

"Need some help there?"

"No,"

"Okay well by the time you fix yourself Danni could be gone. Half way across the country at this rate,"

"Fine," huffing in frustration and defeat as the succubus made quick work of the task leaning down and pulling it out.

"Told you it's a tooth,"

"Did you want a prize?" Lauren's brow rose as she took the molar studying it the best she could in the lack of light. She knew she was being unnecessary rude, being mean and trying everything she could to start a fight or rather keep one going but she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't admit she was scared, she could have Bo focusing on her fear not with what was coming so this was all she knew to do. This is what came easy to her, to them.

"Those came from more then one person didn't they?"

"If I was to give an estimate with how far we walked, how much I felt, the sound-somewhere between ten to twelve,"

"I studied those files pretty closely and none of them mentioned them missing teeth,"

"No they didn't,"

"Then that means-"

"We're looking at another dozen victims,"

The thought guided them into silence as they searched the floor but came up empty, no twisted rhymes or teeth. Not even a sign of life beyond them and the rodents. Any other time they would have moved quicker, would have been floors up already but this kill wasn't one either was rushing to. They knew she could have gotten away ten times over yet the girl was still here. Not one or the other but both could feel Danni there, feel her presence looming around them. Both sharing a mixed desire of hoping she'd come out and they could finish this while also wishing she would run. Though each woman favored one desire more, and though they would never speak it aloud they both knew who was hoping for what.

Coming to the next stairwell Lauren reached for the doorknob but instead of pulling it open she just stood there staring through the six by ten inch glass into the darkness. She felt her chest heavy again and her lung seem to close simultaneously. It was something so simple. A simple window that looked into a simple stairwell that was covered by darkness but for her it was more.

This darkness covered the stairs to the last floor where undoubtedly her daughter would be, where the confrontation she was dreading would be. This darkness visible only through a small box in a way to her mirrored what she saw in her daughter. She knew there was more there beyond it like the stairs were but there was nothing left to be seen but darkness. And in the back of her mind she felt it mirrored herself now.

She couldn't lie now it was to late for that, the time was here this showdown was not just about her daughter anymore. And if she was to be honest maybe it was never just about the girl. In so many ways it was just as much about her. She knew the body total more then anyone, she knew the girl had her current girlfriend trapped somewhere in the building without a doubt tortured possibly dead. Just going through the floor they found evidence of more victims. She knew beyond a doubt Danni would kill Bo if she had the chance yet Lauren more in this moment then any other felt uncertainty in what her actions would be when faced with the choice.

"Are you alright?"

The sound of the succubus' voice drew her back into reality. A subtle but heavy wave of panic kicking in as she wondered just how long she had been standing there. Wondering if she was as readable to her wife as she use to be. Wondering what Bo would do if she had known her internal thoughts. Letting her natural self preservation instincts kick in she cleared her throat and nodded. Moving her head side to side she tried to crack her neck before sliding off her dress jacket and tossing it to the side.

"What?"

"Nothing just never seen someone throw away five hundred dollars so easily,"

"It was seven," Lauren stiffened as she watched her wife's features, studying them the best she could. Fighting the unsettling feeling that the woman knew something she continued. "It obstructs my movement, sets my reflex time back by several seconds."

"If you were worried about practicality should have left those at the office," the blonde cautiously followed her wife's line of sight down to her high heels. "Just saying," smirking Bo reached over her arm lightly grazing Lauren's as she pulled the door open letting Lauren once again take lead.

It was only another twenty or so stairs but the walk felt like it was a thousand. Upon reaching the door the succubus didn't give Lauren a chance to hesitate as she pulled the door and walked in. It was so much of the same yet so different.

For starters the smell grew to near unbearable volumes while a hundred feet from where they stood was a bright light shining out into the hall from a doorway or an opening in the wall. From where they stood it was hard to see which let alone if there was anyone else there. The light along with the moon light was enough to keep most of the hall dimly light allowing them to see the blood covered floor. Enough that it was approximately a half inch thick but old enough that it was dried enough just to be sticky.

Feeling something land on her forearm Bo held her breath while on instinct held her arm out making sure Lauren was staying put. Taking a cautious step back forcing her wife to do the same, she gave the hall another quick once over before tilting her head back. It didn't take more then a millisecond to find the culprit of the mess. Above them along the length of the hall hung stripped bodies in Puppeteer fashion. She turned to face Lauren but her eyes were caught by yet another note scribbled on the wall.

'_Danni Alreyna gave her mother forty whacks_

_When she had saw what she had done_

_She gave her another forty-one'_

"Think that's for me?" Bo whispered through a forced smirk to an emotionless audience, her hand still firmly gripping the blonde's forearm.

"**Today is the day you die Bo," **it was a growling whisper that echoed through the air. Despite the halfhearted attempt at looking around they knew they wouldn't be able to tell where it had come from. It was all around them, surrounding them like surround sound rather then from a single speaker.

"Maybe we should go," Lauren whispered this being her turn to grab Bo's wrist as she tried to push on.

"**I would listen to her,"**

"I'm not afraid of her," she looked from her wife's grip back toward the light. "I'm not afraid of you Danni! All these notes and theatrics just tell me you're afraid! That's all they're doing!"

"Bo," she whispered again but this time her hesitance and stalling tactics seemed to be picked up on as the woman turned back to face her with an mixture of frustration and an inquisitive underline. "Don't push her," she let out the answer appearing to be enough as Bo began leading them down the hall though she made sure to keep hold of her wife's hand.

The short walk was one that took an eternity yet was over all to quickly. The wall leading up to the doorway was deteriorating various boards missing enough to see into the area. Enough to see there were bodies but never enough to make out anything else. Leaning against the door frame she took another breath and let go of Lauren's hand. Forcing herself to take the last step into the light her knees seemed to lock themselves.

The space itself was big and in a sense taken care of which proved beyond a dout this was where Danni had been spending her time. Forty or so feet back was another doorway to a smaller room which held something that would without a doubt be stomach turning but from her angel she couldn't quite make out what was inside other then dirty boxes of some sort. It was another obvious observation that while there was a stack of a dozen or so bodies in the corner to her left, and most importantly Danni wasn't here. But even with all of that, that wasn't what made her stop dead in her tracks and Lauren run into her.

There in the middle of the room hanging only five feet above the floor stripped like all the others was Skylar. She wasn't moving but her body was swinging back and forth slowing with each swing as if someone had pushed her and was waiting to see how long it took for gravity to pull her down or at least to a halt. Four hooks in each leg and arm , two for the tops and two for the bottoms. One along each shoulder blade while one at the small of her back. Her body was bleached red and even from where they stood they could see various patches of skin was missing.

Unable to just stand there and look on in horror Bo rushed to the opposite side panic written over her while Lauren calmly walked over and studied the situation. The succubus reached out several time but pulled her hands back each time, having to swallow back the building bile in her throat. Lauren began to reach out and grip the hook at the small of the woman's back. Finger tips just grazed the metal when a blood curling scream filled the room causing each of them to jump while swinging was no longer the cause of movement but wild spasms.

"Oh God! How—How do we—what do we-" Bo kept wanting to reach out and grab her. Reach out and free her but panic kept her from doing so. "How do we get them out? I—I-I don't have a knife," she looked around the floor searching for something.

"Hold her," Lauren ordered one hand grabbing a forearm while the other grabbed her thigh. "They're only through the top layer of skin, not any muscle or bone."

"Wh—you want us to pull her down?" her eyes widened as she mimicked her wife's actions which contained the movements to a degree but only a degree. "Lauren,"

"She keeps this up the damage will beyond irreversible if it isn't already. We try taking out one at a time the pain alone could kill her and there is no guarantee the others won't rip. This is the only humane thing to do. She'll pass out from the pain in seconds," Bo looked from her wife and then down, and then back to her wife. "Now!"

Going against her better judgment she followed her wife's lead and pushed down. She had been right it had only took three seconds after they ripped her free before the screams stopped. Lauren stayed on her knees Skylar's body laying on top of her legs but Bo was only kneeling the sound of something from the hall grabbing her attention. Looking to the doorway there stood who they had been searching for, a smug smile on her lips as her eyes locked with Bo's.

"Stay here," Bo let out as she lunged herself toward the door way chasing after Danni who was already dashing down the hall.

Lauren just let the woman lay there atop her legs, her palms firmly pressed against the uneven floorboards tiny slivers cutting into her skin. Her dark eyes just kept moving up and down her girlfriend's body. Counting every gash, cut, missing piece of flesh and tear. She could tell several cuts came from scalpel, several from a blade, while some flesh was cut away and others appeared to be tore off. The smell, feel and sight were worse then she had seen in a while yet it was just like slipping into an old pair of jeans. Part of her would have thought after all this time she would have been shocked or taken it harder but instead it was just like she had been seeing things of this nature everyday. Finally moving she reached into her pocked pulling her Blackberry from a pocket that had no business holding something that big. Finally pulling it free she tried to dial.

"No service?" Lauren turned toward the soft voice at the doorway finding her daughter leaning against the beam rather seductively with a crooked smile. The blonde's eyes went from her to the window as if she would be able to see Bo who was now most likely out of earshot. "Illusions. I've gotten really rather talented at them, it could be **hours** before she realizes she's chasing a ghost."

"I guess we'll finally have some quality time then," her eyes stayed locked on her daughter's as she dropped the phone and gently pushed the woman's body off of herself.

"Oh you have no idea,"


	16. Mama-Part One

**A.N.** Part Two should be up late tonight or early tomorrow.

**Mild M to Heavy M rating, content some may find troubling**.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Mama-Part. One **

_**(Lauren's Voice Over)**_

_'Oedipus complex, a mental disorder in which a child most often a male has a sexual desire toward their mother and feel the need to remove competition often the father._

_Obsession, a state of being completely taken over by a thought and/or desire. The person has little to no say in their behaviors that surround their actions in obtaining or keeping said object. _

_Maternal instinct, to protect ones offspring against any and all threats. To place said offspring above all else even oneself. To love said offspring through any and all short comings, difficulties and/or dysfunctions. _

_Slave, doctor, surgeon, physiologist, profiler, Queen of Fae, wife, and mother. Over my life time I have been all at one time or another, sometimes more than just one. All of them gave me a very different, very unique prospective on the three terms. I knew the world's definition and I know my own. Perhaps it was the overwhelming amount of experience I've gained through the years or maybe it was something else but I knew what Danni had been after all along. Knew what her games were leading too, what motivated her actions that were always perfectly random or perfectly calculated. To me it had been obvious though I refused to accept it. _

_I always found it funny in a sick, ironic kind of way how a person could see something, know something without a doubt, believe it with every fiber of their being yet they could still refuse to accept it. Denial is such a beautiful thing, it can be addicting. It has been to me. It was so easy to deny the obvious, it always is. _

_The human condition is a curious thing though the irony there is I am no longer human yet the mechanics continue to work the same. I continue to have contradicting emotions, continue to lie to myself and deny the obvious. I continue to dance between the thin line of being a bad person who does good things and a good person who does bad things. I continue to have self-preservation and maternal instincts. Human or Fae it is surprisingly the same and I can honestly say I know, I have not only been both but lived as both. Whether living as a human slave or Fae Queen, the mechanics under everything else that changes remain the same. _

_I look at Skylar, look at Bo, Kenzi, Ty and the rest of them and wonder how long it will take for them to figure it out. Figure her out-figure me out. All the signs are there always have been but they never bother to connect the dots not with Danni and not with myself. Even if they had figured it out I wonder if they would have said anything. _

_I doubt they did though Danni has always been such an enigma once you figure out one side, one motive she has already changed. She unfortunately inherited it from me I was never a conceded person even to this day I'm not. But I know without a doubt that no one has ever completely figured me out, never completely solved me and in that respect my daughter is my mirror image. _

_I look at her and I see more then my daughter, I see myself. I look at her and wonder if this is my fate, wonder if this is truly who I am. I look at her and see more than a soulless killer even though I know there is nothing more there. I look at this young girl my daughter and can see more, see a grown woman who isn't my daughter. I see a counterpart to me or rather a continuation. I look at her and I know the darkness I've spent years hiding, denying its continued existence—I know it's still alive when I look at her. I look at her and see someone who knows parts of me that no one else does._

_I look at her and see her for what she really is a fallen angel. Something made with pure, untainted love born beautiful yet has fallen from grace. I look at her and see the pure evil, soulless monster she is –-a continuation of myself.'_

* * *

Calmly she rose to her feet taking two steps back and five to her left putting a decent distance between herself and Skylar's body. Her eyes stayed on the young girl's though she refused to meet her gaze. Danni really had become the spitting image of Bo down to the leather pants and size to small tee. Even her mannerisms had taken after the succubus', the way Danni leaned against the frame everything about the stance screamed of Bo, even the dark, desire filled look that was plastered to her face. Lauren's eyes caught the girl's lips as they curled into a smirk, her hand rising. Had a base heavy beat not filled her ears the same exact time of the movement Lauren would have thought it was a weapon. And to some degree she had begun to wish it was.

Tossing the remote aside while rocking her hips back and forth. Swaying over to Lauren, who stood still not afraid or in shock but just still. Her features like her body reveling nothing. Upon reaching her mother despite the face her hips still swayed with a grin over her lips there was an obvious momentary hesitation, but it was only momentary. Though her mother said nothing to invite her further she took the silence as an invitation.

Fingertips falling on the blonde's collar bones she let them drop down the woman's chest past her stomach to her hips. Letting her hands run around to the small of Lauren's back and dropping just enough to feel the small starting curve of her ass. Though hesitation seemed to arise yet again when the young girl's hands worked their way back to their starting place. Grin growing she griped the soft, dark blue material between her thumbs and index fingers. Licking her lips suddenly finding her mouth very dry she gave the material gentle tugs until it was completely un-tucked.

Bending her knees as she swayed till her line of sight was even with Lauren's hips as she made quick work of the bottom four buttons and since the blonde never clasped the top two it left only two to be undone. Swaying back up she undid the last two easily. Continuing with the beat of the song her hands ran themselves back up the blonde's arms and into her hair. Pressing closer to the woman she brought her hands down and slid them underneath the recently undid shirt and pushed it off Lauren's shoulders, down her arms until finally the floor. Though the woman had a black undershirt on that was undoubtedly from Victoria's Secret from how little material there was, how low it was cut and how tight in all the right areas, it was showing off just enough to make the girl hesitate again.

"I found out how to be perfect for you my dear," she sung softly with the song eyes for the first time venturing high enough to meet Lauren's.

"Are you sure you want this," her voice was soft yet not a whisper. There was no fear, disgust or excitement there had been nothing. Complete void of emotion was written over her, from her stance to her voice to even her eyes. "You're coming to a line that once you cross you can never come back from,"

Danni's grin turned to a smirk while rhythmically turning her body so she was now pressing against Lauren's body. Reaching around she interlocked her fingers with the woman's before guiding them around her own waist. Moving against her, making them one person she hummed along to the words softly making sure to add a low moan every couple of beats. Gaining all the pleasure she could from the moment she guided them back up the room a few feet and over to their left where a single wooden chair sat. It was just at the corner of the fourth and last window in a series of them across the wall.

Guiding Lauren into the seat she pulled her hands free and turned to face her. Keeping their gaze locked she pulled a roll of duct tape from the windowsill. Smiling she draped one leg over Lauren's lap and then the other until she was straddling her. Though the blonde tilted her head back not to be hit there was still a complete lack of emotion. Already knowing the drill she positioned her hands around her back holding them together and up enough that Danni was able to reach around and tape them effortlessly.

"I never figured you to be so submissive," grinning she let the rest of the unneeded roll drop with a thud. Leaning back she looked down at the woman who continued to do nothing other than stare right back at her. "Not going to say anything?" her now steady hands found a home on the older woman's hips.

"I'm not one for dirty talk,"

"Dirty talk is vulgar and describes what you want to do to someone. Talking about things of a sexual and suggestive manor without being explicit is merely flirtatious. Just a form of foreplay," the only response she got was barely considered a tilt of the head. "So come on and tell me,"

"I thought you planned to find out,"

Danni's lips parted through her smirk her next flirty comment ready that was right up until Lauren's comment. Apart from licking them first they shut, eyebrow rising with a new wave of nervousness settling in. She made sure to keep her jaw clenched and her breathing even trying to hide the hesitance that continued to arise.

"Or was this your way of telling me you plan on adding stripper to your resume along with mass murder and poet,"

"I still have all of my clothes on," she scooted herself back so she wasn't right on top of Lauren, giving herself a better view.

"Sounds like a personal problem," the blonde's head tilted to the right. "You'll have to take care of yourself," raising her own eyebrow while lazily lifting her arms the best she could. "My hands are tied,"

"It's a shame," a sense of sadness was evident in her words, reaching out cupping her mother's cheek. "you don't mean it," letting her head fall forward till her forehead was resting on Lauren's. "I wish you did so much,"

"Scared,"

The simple word cut through the silence between them like two trains crashing into each other at full speed. Danni's entire body tensed muscle by muscle at light speed, eyes shooting open. Breath hitching she leaned back up eyes locking with Lauren's dark ones. The word so simple yet held so much weight, it was a taunt. It was dare, a challenge from one alpha to another. This was a game of sorts it had been since it began, and for the first time since she started it the girl was surprised. Surprised to see just how far Lauren was willing to take it, or rather how far she was willing to go.

Danni knew without a doubt her mother would follow into a game of cat and mouse. A deadly game that would leave a hefty body total while leaving a trail of collateral damage to anyone near it. Knew that her mother would take the challenge and run with it until she had won or lost, no matter the price. Knew that she could make this game go to hell and back ten times over and her mother would continue to play never faltering. But for the first time she realized her mother might be willing to go further than she ever imagined.

_'Could her desire to remain alpha be that great? Could her desire to win be that great? Could she be __that twisted and dark without anyone knowing?_'

Those were the questions that played through Danni's mind as she smiled devilishly down at the blonde who just continued to watch her. Those were the questions that excited her to no end, to new levels.

"Scared?"

"Aren't you," Lauren stiffened her back sitting up straight an action that nearly pushed the girl off herself. "Either you don't really want me and I've just called your bluff-which let's face it I don't need to be a succubus to know is a lie." this time she tightened her legs pulling them closer to the chair making Danni move slightly closer. "Or you're scared,"

"I think you're the one who's scared mother," while there was still a hint of playfulness to her words they grew lower. Danni's features tightening, eyes darkening as she leaned down face hovering over Lauren's. "I think you're the one bluffing,"

"Then," with the exception of playfulness her tone began to match her daughter's. Leaning up the best she could ignoring the pain it caused. Eyes locked in a death stare. "Call my bluff,"

"I'm praying this was a stall tactic otherwise our marriage has far bigger issues then trust," Bo's low growl of anger and disgust broke the building tension. "Care to remove yourself from my wife," Danni simply slid off of Lauren's legs while taking three steps back putting a decent distance between the two of them. "I knew duct tape was strong but strong enough to hold an ascended, hybrid, Queen of Fae?" her eyes danced over her wife who continued to be the poster child for a statue. "They should put that on the packaging,"

"She doesn't wanna get free,"

"I doubt that for many reasons," she forced her eyes from her wife to her daughter. "Apparently with what I just saw the most valid would be that-" she paused a smirk crossing her lips. "She hates being restrained during sex. Take it from me, I know." Bo's smirk only grew as she saw the anger building behind her daughter's eyes. "You know I was expecting to fight my kid not my wife's wannabe lover,"

"Wife? Ha! What a joke it is to hear you calling her that,"

"Well that is what she is, my wife."

"Was she your wife while you were getting gangbanged by garbage for the past ten years? That your definition of wife? Someone you leave alone while fucking vile whores, that your definition of love?"

"Gangbanged by garbage?" Bo snorted chuckling to herself as she watched the girl's anger quickly reaching its boiling point. "Tell me Danni what's your definition of love? Butchering innocent people while stalking from afar? Writing crappy albeit creepy pomes? Killing off the competition cause you know you couldn't win any other way?"

"She wants me!"

"Even if we took away the fact that you are her daughter, you're still a child. A child whose been locked away from the world for the past ten years. Look at her track record sweetheart, grown succubi women. Sorry but you don't fit the bill,"

"Not all succubi. Not all women." Danni growled through a clenched jaw, teeth grinding as her fists clenched. Bo couldn't help the way her eyes shifted slightly to Lauren before quickly remembering there was something more important at hand. There would be time to address the accusation, the lying among some other things that was still making her stomach turn. "Shows how much attention you pay! Even when you were around you didn't see her. You never did!"

"And she never saw you,"

That had done the trick just as Bo had expected it to do. She wasn't sure if it was just one insult to many, one insult to far, if it was just the insult that did the trick or if it wasn't her insult so much as the smugness behind it. Either way she didn't care anymore. She was soaking wet and freezing from chasing a ghost out into the docks. She was sore, tense, tired, and hungry among so many other things after the beating this day had given her thus far. And now her stomach was turning in on itself worse then she knew possible after what she had witnessed.

There were so many questions to be asked, to be processed but she couldn't. Everything had to take a backseat to what was about to happen. Only problem was she wasn't like Lauren, she wasn't logical. She couldn't simply compartmentalize everything and deal with them as she pleased.

The way her body was tense, sore and tired she knew without a doubt would affect how she fought. The way her stomach turned from hunger was only made worse by the smells of this place. Her concern and more accurately fear of Lauren was continuously struggling to take front and center in her mind. And the fact that she was intending to fight her daughter but instead got her wife's jealous 'lover' threw her through another loop completely.

But none of that mattered now, not even whatever it was that had set off Danni all that mattered was that it had and now there was no going back.


	17. Does It Hurt-Part Two

A.N. Due to two rather aggressive Pms I feel the need to say:

**I in no way** condone incest, pedophilia, rape, torture, or murder. I am also a pretty devout catholic and any mild reference to theology is accurate and done with respect which has not been perverted in any way. Don't believe me look it up.

I mean to do nothing other then write my DARK story and entertain. This is simply a subject not many people write, include in story or explore thus why I wanted to take a stab at it. And believe me what is coming out is a soft version of the orginal.

If I have offended anyone I am wholeheartedly sorry, and that is why I have written more then one AN saying this is dark, and for adults. Again I do not condone incest or pedophilia.

Thank you for all the great reviews I love to see everyone getting into it, and having your own ideas and investments into the story. Please continue to tell me how you feel,

Mild to Heavy M rating as will continue to be pretty much from now on.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen : Does It Hurt-Part Two**

"**And she never saw you,"**

The words echoed through the air drowning out the music that continued to play in the background. The words drowned out the sounds from the outside world that were drifting in, they had even drown out the world around them. It was the five words that sealed all three of their fates though at the same time took Lauren out of the equation for the time being. Right now there was no outside world, no massive body count lying around the building with one or possibly more people needing medical attention. Right now there wasn't even Lauren sitting just a mere couple of feet from them. No right now nothing existed except for the two of them.

Danni flung her body through the air at her mother who in one swift motion tossed her aside. The girl's body flew into the wall before landing with a thud.

"Hope you got more than that if you plan on taking me down," Bo turned to face her daughter who held a half pushup position looking somewhat shocked. "Come on, show me what a big killer you are," Danni jumped up a cool smirk over her lips. "Just tell me one thing Danielle, just one and I'll give you what you want. I'll give you the chance to kill me fair and square. We'll go blow for blow, we'll fight till one of us is dead. I'll fight you without mercy, without restrain- the fact that you're my daughter won't even exist but I have to know,"

"What?"

"When,"

"Not why?" she chuckled a hint of surprise escaping as she squared her stance with Bo. Leaning on the balls of her feet she rocked back and forth watching her mother with amusement.

"I know why,"

"Really,"

"Yeah, I already know why. I know why you kill people and I know why you do it the way you do. I know why you write little letters and play little games. I even know why you want your mother,"

"You know that doesn't bother me," Danni interrupted smile growing as she watched a new level of disgust come onto the succubus' face. "I know she's my mother,"

"Well sick is sick,"

"So you want to know when," pressing her lips together she nodded her head a faint glimmer in her eye. "I don't know,"

"Liar. What you can torture and mutilate innocent women, children and people who can't defend themselves but this—answering a simple question scares you? Yeah real badass you are,"

"I was sixteen," Danni hesitated and Bo saw something she had thought no longer existed, a sense of vulnerability. "And you had forgotten to shut the bedroom door, one of your fucking after fighting about the only time you two ever touched. I remember sitting in my room and at first I reached for my earphones and then the strangest thing happens-I liked what I heard. I thought it was just part of being a succubus after all we are vile creatures as it is. But the first time Koari was taking me-I mean she was fine better then fine actually but the whole time I wasn't thinking about her,"

"Thank you,"

Danni showed the surprising speed she had witnessed from her wife in the office a day ago. There was no chance to react. The distance had been closed the young girl's fist smashing into her mother's jaw twice before Bo had even processed what had just occurred. Though realizing didn't help much. Two more blows to the face followed by a knee to the ribs was enough to knock Bo off balance. Stumbling backwards creating just enough distance for her to be able to reach up and block the next three wild punches. The forth was enough to crack her forearm. The pop that echoed through the air was like catnip to Danni as a new rush of adrenalin coursed through her veins. Kicking out the heel of her boot connecting with Bo's knee sending her crashing to the floor.

Wasting no time the second her knees hit the floor she was already diving at the girl. A swing of her hand and Bo was back on the ground. Smugness written all of Danni as she just looked down at her. But Bo was no new comer to brawls or pain; in fact pain was the easy part of a fight to her. Repeating the same move twice more with the same reaction caused Danni to let out a hearty laugh. Taking a step back she turned and smiled at Lauren.

Even though just for a split second it was all Bo needed. Instead of lunging she hopped up bringing her balled fist in Danni's stomach. Blood exploding from her mouth as the blow landed, her body weakening but it didn't detour the succubus. Pulling back her free fist she brought it down against her daughter's jaw so hard she was sure her hand had broken. Continuing to take full advantage of the girl's stun she spun her body around landing a roundhouse kick to the body. This finally enough to knock her down to the floor.

Reaching down grabbing her daughter by the shoulder she pulled her back just enough so she had clear view of her face. Taking no mercy as she promised Bo brought her already bloody hand down against the girl's face seven, eight, nine times before she felt Danni's body become dead weight in her hand. Letting go she let her fall to the floor.

"That all you got? Big bad boogeymonster can't even last ten minutes?" she forced a laugh as she brought the bottom of her gym shoe into Danni's ribs four times and would have continued had she not heard the snap. "Come on! Get up!" the next two kicks were to the girl's shoulder blade. "Get up! Fight me! You want my wife?! You want my life and everything that goes with it?! Then get up and take it!"

Hiking up her leg to deliver another blow Danni lept up at her, using every bit of strength she could muster. Her shoulder slamming into Bo's chest as they went flying across the room stopping only when they hit the wall. Already dilapidated boards cracking under their weight. This time it was Bo who couldn't contain the blood that fountained from her mouth. Using her right leg she brought her knee into Danni's stomach twice before the girl stood up. Deciding technique was no longer, if ever of any importance she reached out scratching at Danni's already bloody face. The gushing liquid made it of some difficulty to get any sort of grip but that didn't matter. The action was enough to keep the girl from delivering any devastating blows.

Laughing off the 'girly' attack Danni leaned into it reaching out her hands gripping her mother's face. A scream passed Bo's lips as fingernails dug into her skin, thumbs pressing against cheeks bones while small palms did their work crushing the woman's jaw.

"Where's your fight?" Danni snarled tightening her grip, the growing scream making her laugh.

Swallowing back the pain her scream was no longer just for her pain but her anger. Reaching up and grabbing a handful of hair and tugging. The next scream wasn't from Bo but from Danni. The succubus already having pulled a small chunk of hair and went for another. Through another scream the girl managed to grab a hold of her mother's neck pulling her toward herself. Going to extend her arm aiming to toss Bo back into the wall something that would have worked perfectly had Bo not been a step ahead. Grabbing a hold of Danni's sides as she went crashing back.

This time their weight proved to be too much for the wall, the two of them crashing through. Both letting out a scream in unison at a board that had managed to rip straight through not only Bo's leg but Danni's as well. Scream turning to a growl Danni used her left hand placed next to Bo's head to hold herself up, while using her right to deliver blow after blow until her mother's face was completely covered in blood.

After six Bo had lost count as to how many hits she had taken, in fact after six she was sure she had lost conscious briefly. One moment she was getting hammered and the next through blurred vision she was watching Danni in the distance pulling the once shared debris from her leg. Coughing up another mouthful of blood she let her vision clear while looking around the room that had once caught her eye. She had been right to an extent when she figured them to be boxes. They just weren't regular boxes, no these where human size. Shaking off the heavy feeling coming over her she pushed herself into a seated position before pushing herself all the way up.

Spitting out another mouthful of blood heavy eyes looked over the coffins a heavy thought crossing her mind. But again she knew that she couldn't focus on this, she couldn't check to see if her suspicions were right. No just like before everything had to take a backseat to finishing this. Hobbling back out of the room she found Danni kneeling in front of Lauren, head resting on her mother's knee.

"How sweet," she continued to hobble till she was completely out of the doorway and back into the middle of the room. Her eyes shifted to Skylar who was trying everything in her power to drag herself along the floor. "She playing the role of mommy or lover this time?" Bo's eyes shifted back to Danni who was standing up, pulling a blade from an ankle holster.

"Why won't you just fucking die,"

"Keep that kind of language up and I'ma have to get the soap."

"Think it's a little late for parenting,"

"Well it seems I'm the only one left to do any,"

"Jealous?"

"Of you? Sweetheart it's taken you ten years, mind games, and bondage for you to even get her shirt off. Ooo-you see shoulders," Bo chuckled as she watched blood drip from her daughter's hands. "Tasted her? Fucked her? Heard her moan your name? Hell even got a kiss yet?" continuing to spit blood she shifted her weight onto her uninjured leg. Her eyes venturing up to get a better look at her wife. "Hell you're the only living person in this room who hasn't,"

"I'm going to rip your heart out-!"

"Then do it!"

Not learning from the first time Danni repeated the action the started the brawl. Once again Bo caught the girl midair but Danni wasn't as naive as expected. Though getting caught and ready to take the blow she slammed the blade down into Bo's shoulder at the base of her neck, the hilt of the handle hitting her bone. Ignoring the pain she went to Danni who found herself half way dangling from the window furthest from Lauren. The girl holding on by nothing other than fingertips.

Leaning over her daughter, knees digging into her stomach though discomforting was the least of pain. Reaching out wrapping both hands around Danni's throat she found herself hesitate. It was just for a moment and she herself couldn't exactly explain why. Maybe she just needed a moment before killing her own child. Maybe she wanted to test a theory. Maybe she wanted to see if Lauren would stop her. The list could have gone on forever but yet she found herself regretting the hesitation as Danni was able to grab ahold of the handle.

Twisting the blade with one hand she used the other to grab ahold of Bo's arm so that when the woman on reflex would pull back it would also pull her back into the room. And like a charm it worked. Upon feet touching the rotting wood she pulled the blade out of her mother cocking her hand back ready to deliver the final blow.

Though it wasn't what happened to both of their surprise. As if on auto pilot Bo maneuvered herself to the side while grabbing her daughter's wrist. Giving a violent twist the blade found a home in Danni's stomach rather than Bo's. Pulling it back out she let her daughter drop to her knees subtle shock coating her bloody and broken features.

Bo raised the blade her eyes already calculating just how much force it would take to finish the job. Looking down at the girl she felt familiar cringe of disgust yet a new twinge of pain in her heart. She looked down at this bloody girl and suddenly saw just that—a girl. She suddenly saw her daughter. The little girl she taught to ride a bike, and read bedtime stories to. The little girl she told she loved every night. The little girl she had failed. She could feel her heart breaking as she watched the girl look up at her with something that resembled fear.

"W-why?" Bo's broken whisper accompanied tears that tricked down her cheeks mixing with blood. Sniffling she broke eye contact looking behind herself needing to focus on anything other than what she was about to do. "Wh-," she cut her own self off as her eyes got stuck on the coffins mere feet away.

"Go ahead,"

She heard her daughter's voice in the background followed by muffled coughs. Swallowing the lump in her throat she stared the boxes down sure she already knew the answer. Looking back at Danni who could barely keep herself up and then back at the room. Letting her curiosity get the better of her she limped into the room. Heavy eyes danced over the lids. There was a familiarity about the color, the type that sent chills down her spine.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Danni groaned while twisting herself around so she was facing Lauren. "Kill me, ship me off it doesn't matter—I've already won,"

"Who is in these?!" she wanted to hear the girl say it, wanted a new reason to push her over the edge to finish it.

"I'm forever apart of you. Both of you." The girl attempted to smile at Lauren who held her gaze. "There's no escaping me anymore. Kill me Bo-kill your daughter. Do it you know you want to. Feel the release, the joy that rushes through you as you watch the life drain from me,"

"It's them isn't it?!" the succubus' shaky hand rested on the coffin closest to her. She knew she could just open the lid and know one way or another. As Fae tradition for the 'upper class' their names were woven into the lining. But she couldn't.

"Every time you look in the mirror you'll see me. Every time you enjoy a kill you'll feel me there. There's no escaping me, the things I've made you do Bo-you'll never be rid of me."

"Oh-" was all the whimper that came out when she pulled open the lid, eyes falling upon Dyson's name woven into the top lining. The ocean of emotion washing over her she didn't even bother to shut the casket. It had been the last push she needed. Her mind had been made up and her body was carrying it out before she could even catch up.

Eyes locking on Lauren who seemed to be engrossed in Danni only added to the new found rage. Lifting the blade once again she reached out to grab her daughter's shoulder. She wasn't a cowered and the times she had stabbed someone in the back were rare, far and few in between. And this kill, her own daughter wouldn't be added to that total. Spinning Danni around she let the blade drop though it missed completely the steal falling to the ground.

Bo's eyes widen, blood spilling from her lip. Blinking back confusion she let her head fall forward looking at what had just happen. A thick shard just barely visible as it stuck out from underneath her ribs. Trying to swallow back some of the blood the past seconds replayed in her mind events becoming clear. A snicker escaping her as she couldn't help but marvel at the cleverness behind it.

At the exact moment Bo had been forcing her to turn around the girl was pulling the shard from her own side. At the exact moment Bo was bringing down the knife Danni was already shoving the shard into her.

Dropping to her knees Danni cupped the woman's cheeks, a cool smile washing over her lips. No longer was there a sense of vulnerability or fear and again Bo snorted the best she could realizing that she had been played. Danni was never beaten to the point of defeat. She wasn't scared or ever worried she had been three steps ahead the whole time.

'_Lauren's daughter to the core,' _was all she could think looking into Danni's eyes realizing she had been played.

"How does it feel," she whispered forehead resting on her mother's as her palm rested atop the tiny bit of visible glass. "To lose?" pushing it in the rest of the way she stood up effortlessly as though the beating she had took didn't happen. "To be played?" Danni's foot found a home atop of her mother's gushing wound pushing the succubus down onto the floor. "To find out you're not as good as you thought you were?" pressing the ball of her foot down harder, their eyes locked. "Does it hurt?"


	18. Simple As That

**Chapter Seventeen: Simple As That**

"You need a reality check if you really thought that second grade, karate class for beginners bullshit was gonna do anything to an Ascended Fae," keeping her smirk she used the back of her hand to wipe the blood from her eyes. "You would have done better bringing my brother-least it would have been a fight,"

"Go to hell," Bo struggled to get out her legs crunched to her stomach, hands holding the wound.

"Hell? Why would I do that when I can reign here,"

"You're delusional,"

"Actually I think you're the delusional one Ma," Danni's hands fell to her hips, a whole new demeanor to her. One so different from the girl Bo had seen just minutes ago. This girl was so calm and collected. Sure of herself and everything she did, an aura of victory radiating off of her. "You still don't see it do you? About me-about mom,"

"You're fucking sick that's all I need to see,"

"No I'm God, no I am beyond a God. Beyond God and the Devil himself. Let God have this so called heaven and let the Devil have this so called hell. I will take this world. The proven world, the real world. Call me God for I decide when you die, call me Devil for I decide how you pay for you sins."

"You're insane," Bo couldn't help but cough out another mouthful of blood as she rolled back onto her back. Fear written over her features and in her eyes, there was no reason to hide it any longer. She was scared and for the first time she found herself placing herself in the shoes of all those poor souls Danni had taken.

"Sanity like beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she looked over her shoulder to Lauren who continued to sit in the chair though her hands were now folded in her lap.

"Lauren….." Bo's broken whisper filled with pain as she lifted her head to see her wife through muddled vision.

"Don't say her name! You don't get to say her name," the violent outburst scaring Bo into submission, letting her head fall back onto the ground she just chuckled to herself in utter awe at what had happened. How far events had gone from what she had expected.

"Danielle," Lauren's simple statement of the girl's name was like a master calling it's dog. Danni immediately calmed turning away from Bo and walking toward the blonde who was bringing herself to her feet. "You need to run and you need to do it now,"

"What?" hurt and betrayal washing over her features. "But—"

"They're coming you need to go,"

"Let them come," she rose her hands from her sides, lifting her head as if unnecessarily proposing the challenge to her mother. "They can't touch me! Let them try and I'll rip them to pieces! **We'll** rip them to pieces,"

"Don't you get it," Danni looked down toward Bo. "Her love for you is nothing more than a mother's love,"

"You don't know her-you don't know us," her uncontrollable rage rushing back to her, fists clenching as she began back towards the succubus.

"Danielle," Lauren called out again though this time only having half the effect as the girl stood still yet the rage didn't dissipate this time. The blonde's hands gently ran up her daughter's arms till they were at her neck. The hold was tight enough to be dominate yet soft enough to still be considered loving. Leaning in she let her forehead rest against the girl's, eyes closing. "Listen to me baby," stray tears slipped through her eyelids, leaning in a bit more until her lips just gazed Danni's. "You need to go now." and again. "Please," and again only this time Danni pressed harder, though it only lasted just longer then a moment it was enough to make Bo turn her face away in stomach turning disgust.

"Okay," it was a gentle whisper followed by a nod as Danni pulled away with an innocent smile. "Just as soon as I kill her," she just nodded to Bo like it was nothing waiting for a reaction from Lauren but gained none. Her smile growing she bent down picking up the discarded blade and walked back over to her broken mother.

Bo looked up watching Danni closing in until she was right above her. Blade in hand, proud stance and cocky grin. Had there been no other reason the smirk was enough for the woman to want to slap her. Tired of spitting up liters of blood she swallowed back this mouthful after all she was about to be dead in a matter of moments what did it matter. Her head fell to the side and her eyes fell upon the caskets. Her mind running with it, wondering exactly who Danni had decided to dig up. What significance any of them had to her. What the point of it was. What the point any of this was. Shrugging it off she let her head fall back toward her daughter.

Making sure to keep her eyes locked with Danni's, she waited. She refused to look away, if the girl was going to kill her then she was going to have to face her. She was going to have to look her in the eyes as she did it. Watch the emotion run through them as the life drained from her body. Taking a sharp breath as she saw the blade start to rise.

And then nothing.

Bo's body froze with the exception of her head that turned when a splatter of blood shot onto her face. Looking up in horror, in shock she watched her daughter's features twisting in a heartbreaking mixture of pure agony and betrayal. Looking closer she saw a hand wrapped around the girl's throat. And from the opposite side Lauren's face came into view.

Blood filled gargles filled the air as Lauren guided the girl back four steps, earning a reasonable distance from the succubus. Bo watched as Lauren's lips hovered just over their daughter's ear, tears falling from both of them.

"I love you my baby, I love you so much." Her whimpering words were nearly drowned out by Danni's moan of pain. "Shhh. It'll only hurt for a moment," Lauren placed a lingering kiss on the girl's on the cheek. "I love you. It's okay," Danni's head fell back against her mother. "I love you,"

Even with everything Bo couldn't help the tears that fell as she watched helplessly. She watched as the life slowly drained from her daughter. Watched the many emotions that washed over the girl until she was undoubtedly heartbroken and frightened. Watched as her wife's own heart broke at the same moment. Her own heart broke at the words Lauren lulled to calm the girl.

She watched as Lauren pressed her lips to Danni's ear whispering something she couldn't quite hear before the next surprise of the night happened. The very moment Lauren's lips left their daughter's ear she was effortlessly tossing the girl's limp body through the air and out of the window. Unable to tear her eyes from her wife she watched as the woman walked to the shattered window and looked down for several heartbeats.

"Are you okay?" Lauren's words were soft as she started toward Bo who just looked up at her in awe. "Are you okay?" she repeated the question, reaching down for her wife only to have her jerk away.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

"I couldn't stand to finish it myself so gravity did the job,"

"It's not that," Bo rolled onto her side continuing to cough up blood.

"You need help," she dropped to her knees trying again to examine her wife to be yet again rebuffed.

"Don't touch me, you make me sick." the punch behind the words diluted as she groaned out in pain. "Did you fuck her? Did you fuck our child?" she cried out tears fully falling. "You touched her like you-please God tell me you didn't,"

"Let me help you," the blonde growled grabbing Bo's arm and forcefully pulling it back so she could see the wound.

"Lauren,"

"No." looking up from the wound to meet her wife's eyes. "I didn't,"

"How can I trust you-I saw-you—"

"You saw what?" she growled again eyes darkening, nothing but pure frustration in her voice. "You've lost a lot of blood, taken a worse beating then you have in years. Multiple blows to the head combined with emotional trauma. You witnessed a sick girl having one of her mental episodes. How can you be sure what exactly you saw?"

"I—" she was cut off as Lauren dug her finger into the cut, pushing into her stomach so deep she was sure the woman was trying to kill her. Yelling out in pain she tried to move but her entire body went numb. And then it was over. Slowly feeling was regained and the pain far from gone but subsided. Opening her eyes back up she saw Lauren holding the shard, examining it.

"You'll need several feedings or two hardy feedings to repair the damage. A couple of breaks, blood loss, you know the rest. Nothing too serious,"

"Lauren,"

"I crossed a lot of lines when I went to that place. Crossed further then you know, then you ever will know. I cross further then I want to admit to myself. And there were lines I had been prepared to cross even further but going all the way with her? No. Having sex with her was not a line I was prepared to cross. You can believe me or not, it's the truth."

"Why does it still sound like you're hiding something?"

The question like so many of hers was about to go unanswered as the eardrum popping sound of helicopter blades breaking the sound barrier interrupted them. Turning away from the window as the search lights from two separate crafts shone in on them.

"**You are safe. Stay where you are. We are coming in." **

The same three sayings repeated exactly four times before the Queen's personal SWAT team busted into the room complete with Denzel rushing to Lauren's aid. All else was second priority to them. Not the pile of bodies in the corner or the coffins in the back of the room. Not their Head of Security that laid bleeding to death just inches from them. And not even the near death, wife of the Queen. Bo had to laugh to herself through the pain as she just laid there watching the swarm of people fawning over the blonde. Lauren hadn't been hit once, hadn't even really been insulted once yet she was who they flocked to while the rest of the world crumbled. There was a sense of irony to it all to be found but irony was the least of the succubus concerns.

Continuing to chuckle to herself, now sure she was somewhat delirious she just looked up at the broken ceiling and waited for someone to remember she was there.

* * *

**One Hour Later**

Bo weakly limped from the entrance out into the world. Four helicopters continued to circle the sea far enough out to be heard but not kill her ears. Ten to twelve standard issued SUVs scattered around with all it's occupants running around like chickens with their heads cut off. There was still two ambulances left lights flashing but sirens silent. Undoubtedly the one carrying Skylar had taken off long ago. One was probably for herself and the third she wasn't sure but thought it might now need to be used for the SWAT member she had fed on to gain some resemblance of strength. To her far right, right next to a small attachment to the building catching her attention were three lines of body bags.

"Not even half of them," she turned to Denzel who was looking past her to the bodies.

"You have a total yet?"

"Fifteen there, the vans have already pulled away another fifteen. They're still pulling them out and then there's," he paused eyes adverting to the ground.

"What?"

"Various mismatched body parts no one can confirm go to anyone. They say we won't know for a few days. Highest death toll from a serial killer I've ever known," from the corner of his eye her caught the disgust working its way onto her face. "I'm sorry I—"

"You didn't do it," taking a deep breath jaw clenching at the pain. "Can I see her or has she been taken away already?"

"Right over there ma'am," pointing out right in front of them a hundred or so feet where Lauren stood at the edge of the dock looking out into the water.

"No. I meant my-Danielle. Is her body still here or was it taken already?"

"They didn't inform you?" Bo's eyes shot to him like lightening, her body tensing. "The body hasn't been found yet. We assume it's in the water hence the chopters and boats." his attention drifted as a muffled voice came over his walkie. "Don't worry she'll turn up," he tried to comfort while excusing himself before heading back into the building.

"Clever,"

"She's dead Bo," Lauren replied already knowing the implication as she felt her wife nearing.

"Then where is she?"

"Out in the water somewhere,"

"Right,"

"My hand went through her back. Ripped through her skin, muscle, bone I heard it and felt it. I hand my hand wrapped around her heart. Felt it slow with each beat until there was none. And then I tossed her from the top floor of this building through the window with her already having devastating wounds. She flew into the water Bo," pausing as she took a breath fighting the building tears as she made sure to avoid her wife's judgmental gaze. "She is dead,"

"Can you be sure?"

"Yes,"

"How?"

"I just explained it Bo, there was no tricks you watched as I did it. You watched as she died. So I threw her too hard and she landed in the water I'm sorry, but by morning they will have pulled her body and then we can bury her and be done,"

"Done, just as simple and dry cut as that? Bury her and we move on like nothing?"

"I don't know Bo, of all my talents and skills, inherited abilities I still can't see the future,"

"I don't trust you,"

"That makes two of us," Lauren finally turned to face her. "But you'd be amazed at how little you actually need trust for,"

Bo thought of saying something but what was there to say. There was so much to say, so much to ask, to discuss but yet at **this** moment there was just nothing left to say. It was over why keeping it going especially at this moment. Why not leave well enough alone this time and let it be over. Why not let it be as simple as that,


	19. Ecstasy In Punishment

A.N. First to those who are offended by lesbianism, sexual situations, and DARK story plots I respect your opinion but if you stop reading then you won't be offended thus you won't feel the need to write me nasty pms.

Second a thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, faving, following and hopefully enjoying the story. As we move into the second half i hope I can continue to surprise, shock and entertain as we dive further into this dark rabbit hole I've created.

And special shout out to spyklv, cheekymadom, rin1010,, doccubusgirl, roseriotgrrl, oftherose13, BMED doccubus, bolauren12, who review pretty much every chapter. I love and appreciate **all** and **every** person who takes the time to do it even if once but you guys deserve a special shout out. And to Neytiri's Heart who apart from reviewing has the occasional 'discussion' calling me out on any b.s., but I love it. It always makes write better and stay true to the characters and story. Plus feel a little like Emily A, lol.

Thank you all once more and a reminder **MILD M TO HEAVY M** rating.

* * *

**Part Two: Punishment For The Broken**

**Chapter Eighteen: Ecstasy In Punishment**

**Three Weeks Later**

Tentatively the succubus rolled onto her back. Staring up into the darkness she laid still letting the overly convenient healing ability of hers' take effect. She could feel the small tears in her flesh slowly fusing back into the picture of perfect silk. Each heartbeat slower than last until the burning in her lungs cooled and her breaths evened. The once waterfall of passion covering her body beginning to cool until it was just a light mist coating her flushed skin.

Letting heavy eyelids have their wish she lazily kicked the sheet from her foot. Unconcerned with how it had trapped her in the first place she just wanted to be free from the hot hold. The faint sound of her company slipping off the bed caught her attention but not enough to bring her mind from the satisfied cloud it was rest on. It hadn't ended but moments ago and she was already missing it, craving it. But rather than pushing the delicate issue she allowed her mind to replay the events.

She was well aware at this point it was no longer a woman's or even a succubus' desire or lust. No it was far past that point. It wasn't even an obsession anymore and as of last night it had traveled three steps past addiction. No what she felt now was something far more dangerous than any one of them, far more dangerous than anything she had ever faced. This was a desire filled lust that twisted into a yearning hunger that would never be full. This was an addicting obsession that she had no wish to break. All fuled by a frightening mixture of uninhibited, unadulterated love and deep anger that boarder rage.

Trust was a thing of the distant past but as Lauren had stated before, surprisingly little in life actually required trust. Passion, lust, obsession, love-none of them needed trust not really. They only needed one thing and that was submission. And as last night like so many before it proved was that both knew how to submit rather easily. But at the same time they both knew very well not only how to be but how to fight for dominance. A fight they always seemed to be in. Two sides of the same coin that haven't yet realized it.

From the late hours of the night into the early hours of the morning they had skated between the thin line of pleasure and pain. Of rage and anger, hate and hurt, love and longing. They had each taken their turn in showing agony didn't only belong to torment of the flesh. Each had taken their turn in showing there was an unspoken ecstasy in punishment taking a lustful embodiment.

The night had started just as every other night of the past two and a half weeks. A 'chance' meeting turning into a passive aggressive battle of wills turned into a screaming match until the inevitable falling into passion. Unlike the other nights the fight had turned to their trust issues rather than anything else they could scrounge up. The underlining issues had yet to even be approached until last night. With each metaphorical blow exchanged the succubus found a new level of her emotions awakening. A stirring in her soul that had everything to do with love and yet at the same time nothing to do with it at all. She wanted to fight against herself, fight against Lauren's hold on her though every time she failed. Every time she was sure she had built up the resolve to walk away something in her broke.

And every time she broke there was another level of darkness awoken within her. Within a second of breaking she felt herself being taken over and in that moment the rest of the world slipped away. In those few hours the rest of the world vanishes taking away all the pain and problems leaving nothing other than them.

But last night was different, last night there was a change between them—within her. It was something she couldn't quite place then but now with a sense of perfect celerity she knew. It was a dark yearning that had ignited a craving to test not only her own newly formed limits but her wife's as well. Test them, bend them, break them and then rebuild new ones just to do it over again.

Once the argumentative foreplay had run its course Bo had let her wife take her new alpha roll. She laid on the bed more than willingly acting out every wish of her wife. Some perverse and some tame though she wasn't complaining about any of it. During this time when the rest of the world didn't exist Lauren was still simply her wife. Her wife, her love, her soul, her mate and a succubus all of which meant then what happened in their bedroom was their own business and no matter what happened, what desires came to life it never changed how they saw one another outside of their room.

At first it was Bo who was the one with secret desires and so called perverse fantasies that eventually would become reality. Some things she use to claim were just a formality of being a succubus others she had owned up too. Though now more comfortable in her own skin then ever she owned up to it all and more. Then over the years Lauren had emerged with her own secrets, own desires. But no matter how dark the ocean was that they tipped their toes into it never changed how they looked at one another when all was said and done. And though things were far from how they use to be some things remained the same between them, this being one.

With a change in the air, to them while ready and willing to test her limits and Lauren's it wasn't all blind lust. No there was a new and weird sense of celerity through it all and perhaps that was something that added to just how far events had gone. After four hours of untamed passion Bo had decided to get some answers to the questions that haunted the dark corners of her mind. One of the main ones being just how far gone her wife really was, how far she would go.

Already far past their normal limits the succubus pulled back slowly waiting to see how long with would take for Lauren to do the same or even realize. Though she never did. It had scared her at first until she remembered simply to submit and when she did it was nothing but pure pleasure. Keeping in lines of her game she pulled them back so far at one point it had almost ended right there. During those few minutes several times had passed when she had fully expected Lauren to force herself on her. To take what Lauren had undoubtedly claimed as hers, and in all honesty when all was said and done Bo still belonged to her. Lauren knew it, she herself knew it.

There was a piece in the back of her mind that said this had nothing to do with love anymore. Told her that Lauren wanted to break her until there was nothing left to break and that, that couldn't have anything to do with love. But then even though it was faint Bo could still see some hint of restraint. And at rare moments she could see something gentle in her eyes that Bo would have sworn was love. And that made her heart say that her Lauren was still there. That she hadn't been as far gone as she might have expected. That at the end of the dark, painful and dangerous road there was still nothing but love.

The creak of the floor pulled her mind from her memories, from her thoughts. Forcing her eyelids to half mass she found Lauren prowling up the bed atop of her.

"What are you doing," her voice was soft and husky as the question came out flat leaving the meaning open for interpenetration.

"Ten minutes ago you couldn't get enough of me,"

"Wasn't complaining this is just normally the part where you get up and run off and I don't see you again until the night,"

"If that's what you prefer then it can be arranged," Lauren's tone turning firm matching her features.

"Didn't say that," Bo looked up at her with wary eyes, even with everything that had happen she knew she was still a sucker for her wife but she was still smart enough to know when to hold em' rather then fold em'. "It's a pleasant surprise just wondering if there is an underlining motive,"

"You got me, I do want something," Lauren let out body stiffening while her eyes locked with her wife's. "I want your soul,"

"Wh—what?" the succubus' eyes widened what reminisce of sleep vanishing. "Excuse me,"

"Well that's what you're expecting me to say right?"

"I wasn't expecting anything," Bo forced a small smile while trying to slip back into her previous stat of relaxation.

"I see the way you look at me now-I don't blame you I look at myself the same way whenever I can muster the courage to look in the mirror," the somewhat playful manor now missing from her completely. Breaking their gaze she slid off from the succubus body and maneuvered herself so her back was to the woman.

"Lauren I didn't," taking a deep breath she took a moment to ponder the current situation.

This wasn't the way things normally happened. There was no second round once they were done. There was no pillow talk or even talk of any kind. Lauren had barely remained in the room five minutes after all was said and done. But now somewhere around fourteen minutes after they had finished Lauren was still here. Not only had she hinted at going again but there was playfulness and a sense of warmth. And now she was sitting next to her looking like a kicked puppy.

Sighing she forced herself to sit up scooting down the bed slightly. Eyes running over her wife's back and the side of her face. So much of her wanted to take the woman into her arms and hold her. Tell her it would all be okay and continue to pretend the real world wasn't just fifteen feet and a close door away from them waiting. But then there was the small part that lurked in the background that told her to kick the woman while she was vulnerable. Lauren made the mistake of showing humanity, showing weakness now was the time to go for the kill.

Shaking off the always conflicting thoughts she scooted over till half of her body was resting against the blonde's back. Chin resting on the woman's shoulder as she wrapped her arm around Lauren's waist.

"I like looking at you,"

"Hm,"

"That sounded better in my head-maybe if there wasn't a pause in between," shaking her head to herself. "What I meant to say was that I don't have a problem looking at you-that didn't sound better either did it?"

"Not really,"

"Lauren when I look at you I still see you, I still see my wife. I still see the woman I fell in love with. You've changed on the outside, on the inside as well. Done some very questionable things, hurt me-point is that even with all of that I still see you. I think you are trying so hard to distance yourself from—something that you're losing track of the fact that your still you,"

"I'm not trying anything Bo, life has taken care of that for me. Ascending has taken care of it for me," swallowing the lump in her throat she turned her head away making sure Bo wouldn't be able to see the emotion that was unquestionably showing over her features. "You don't understand,"

"Make me,"

Two words with so much meaning behind them, two words that could sway everything. But that was what they had become. Nothing was simple any more. No small action was just an action; no passing comment was just a comment anymore. Everything had meaning, whether deep and powerful or not it all still had meaning.

Suddenly Bo found herself staring in Lauren's dark eyes as the woman shifted in her embrace. Too many emotions were written over her wife's face to pick one and find meaning in it. She was certain Lauren was sizing her up with the way her eyes were moving over her body but for what, she didn't know.

Lauren slowly leaned forward till her lips were hovering just over her wife's already parting ones. When Bo began to close the distance Lauren tilted her head away leaning down till her lips were now hovering over the nape of the succubus' neck. Hands sliding around her waist till they were resting firmly on the small of her back.

Bo couldn't help but get chills at the contact. She was suddenly so aroused yet she couldn't help but worry what was about to happen. Keeping her own hands placed on the bed, palms pressing against the mattress. Each warm breath escaping Lauren, teasing her skin drew her closer to madness. Just when she thought the wait for whatever was about to take place would kill her Lauren made her move.

Two tender kisses were made to the area before a tender nip. The pattern repeated twice more making Bo's eyes close, head falling back giving her wife better access to the already sensitive skin. And on the third repeat the nip grew to soft bite that earned a soft moan. But this time the pattern didn't hold, no this time the soft bite continued. Slowly escalating with each second until it was hard enough for pain to intertwine itself with her moan. Eyes shooting open as her fists clenched taking the sheet with them.

"Lauren-" it was a moan of pain and pleasure, a plea to stop and a plea to never stop. The rush coursing through her was familiar in so many ways yet new and unique. It resembled the way she felt when Lauren had fed off her. It was arousing, draining, exhilarating all at the same time as was this. But this time there was pain but it only hurt for a moment before the pain became pleasurable. The drain was there yet it was in a complete new way. "Lauren," this time her call out was nothing more than a moan.

A single heartbeat passed before Lauren pulled back waiting for Bo to look at her. Soon enough she got her wish. Bo looked down from the ceiling trying to clear her mind from the haze to find her wife just staring at her. But Lauren didn't look quite like Lauren. There was a sense of fear over her unusually soft features that only grew the longer Bo stared at her without speaking.

The Queen's eyes were their piercing green that they were known to turn only this time the color hadn't engulfed the entire eye. This time it was only the iris and had Bo not been taken off guard she would have thought it looked cool, sexy even. Continuing to study her wife she let her eyes travel down her face finding no other changes until she fixated on her slightly parted lips. Lips that were slightly brighter than normal undoubtedly due to the 'feeding' and she could have sworn the K9s had grown. Grown just enough to be noticed, just enough to puncture skin but still subtle.

Taking a moment to take it all in she realized exactly what was happening. She had asked to understand Lauren's affliction for the Ascension. Asked to be made understood of it, of anything about it. And now she knew something, saw a way it had changed her wife beyond hardening her heart. A change Lauren was now obviously embarrassed about, ashamed of even. With the amount of fear written in her wife's face Bo was sure the woman thought she looked hideous but she found herself feeling quite to the contrary.

Once the surprise had set in and Bo was able to get all of her thoughts in order she found herself embracing the changes. They weren't massive nor overly obvious in fact they were far subtler then when they changed to feed as simple succubi.

"You look beautiful," a smile crept onto her face as the words passed her lips. A new softness to her own features taking over. Her right hand letting go of the sheet found its way slipping behind Lauren's neck and pulling her close.

It was supposed to be a gently kiss but had quickly changed into a passionate frenzy. Each second their tongues dueled for dominance Bo tasted the oddly sweet liquid. She could feel two thin, lines of warm liquid sliding down past her collar bone but it wasn't important.

Time seemed to be slowing as desire grew. Every sense heightened to new levels, interesting levels. She could hear her lover's hear beat, smell her arousal in a new way, feel the heat radiating off her skin. They had already shared a mental connection for years but now it felt like she was actually in her wife's head.

"Wha—" body reacting before her mind had caught up she pulled back near panting. "I—"

"It's something isn't it," Lauren let her head fall, turning away.

"You could say that," running her hands through her hair she tried to force her breathing to slow.

"Ascending Fae is basically reverting to a primitive Fae with **some** control. Guess I should have read the fine print huh,"

"This is primitive?"

"To my body life is life, chi and blood the same. I'm sure flesh would do the trick as well though I do still have enough control over my mind that I draw the line there,"

"So badass new look and a hell of a new feeding method," Bo nodded running her hand through her hair again. "Not really seeing the down side here,"

"Bo I—you can't think this is okay,"

"I honestly don't know what to think at the moment my mind is like the jigsaw puzzle box with fifteen hundred pieces that have just been thrown in the blender."

"You seemed to be enjoying it just fine," Lauren barked obviously taking offense from the comment.

"I didn't say I didn't I just-well that's not something that happens every day you know. I mean we're here and it's relatively normal and then you surprise me with this and—"

"You asked,"

"Lauren," Bo reached out cupping the woman's face. "I'm not insulting you, I'm not complaining about anything. But believe me when I tell you my mind is not where it needs to be to have a conversation. My body feels like it's been on fire. I have so many emotions I have no idea how to deal with. I just need a moment,"

Bo pushed herself off the bed running her hands through her hair once again. She wasn't quite sure what was happening to herself. She could deal easily with all the new things related to anything sexual after all that was her domain. Anything that popped up sexual she could handle with a smile and everything coming into light in that aspect was amazing. A little much to take but amazing none the less.

But emotionally was a different story. Every emotion was suddenly on overdrive; she felt beyond possessive and jealous yet couldn't exactly say why. She was happy, at home, comforted all the while feeling hurt like she hadn't experienced before. She couldn't describe how she could feel so many conflicting emotions at once and have no control. She felt her lungs closing as she forgot to breath, a weird sense of panic coming over her. The world beginning to spin wildly out of control.

"Bo-?" Lauren's brow raised in concern looking up from the section of mattress she had been staring down.

The call of her name stopped her world. Looking up from the floor suddenly fine or near it she stared into her wife's eyes with a new sense of understanding, even though she didn't quite understand herself. While Lauren's concern grew with each second her own lust grew.

She thought about the taste of her wife in her mouth. She thought about the feeling of Lauren being inside her in so many ways. She thought about the way it felt to orgasm against Lauren. But it wasn't just thoughts or memories rushing back as they replayed for her it was just like they were happening. The feelings consuming her, pulling her to a level of hunger she wasn't acquainted with.

"Bo," being pulled from her thoughts yet again she found Lauren standing at her side, hands resting on her shoulders. "Are you okay,"

"Is this what you feel like all the time?" Bo pulled away from the touch looking at the floor trying to find her bra and underwear. "I mean really is this what you feel like all the time because it's-um,"

"Painful? Frightening? Controlling? Consuming? Powerful? Shameful? Any and all of the above?"

"And then some," she huffed out making quick work of her undergarments. Following her wife's lead Lauren pulled open a drawer from the dresser pulling out a simple pair of black workout shorts and a matching tee. "I mean I get it now-somewhat. I get somethings now-new insight," continuing to mumble, nervously fidgeting while refusing to look up from the floor. "Why didn't you ever tell me? Explain to me—"

"When? When I was evil out of my mind? Or when you were off in Na-Na Land sowing wild oats that were supposed to have been long sowed?"

"I was here for a while in between—"

"What? A couple of weeks when we didn't even speak? What was I supposed to do, hunt you down and force you to listen against your will?"

"Maybe!" slipping her shirt over her head she took a breath catching herself. "I deserved to know. If you had—"

"You would have stayed? Please Bo don't insult me, our family crumbled into a thousand pieces and the only chance we had to fix it was then but you still ran. You think if I somehow got you to listen to me and explain in words how this felt at a time when I didn't even know what it was that you'd change your mind? You wanted to run away! You made your mind up as soon as it happened—"

"Stop interrupting me," Bo stood there hands on hips, eyes narrow. "I was wrong I don't know how many more ways to say it. But take your responsibility too!"

"I have,"

"Bullshit! You didn't tell me because you were afraid,"

"Yes,"

"You didn't tell me because you thought I couldn't accept it, couldn't accept you,"

"Yes!"

"You didn't tell me because you were ashamed,"

"Yes!"

"And through it all you never once tried to find me because of it,"

"Yes!"

"And it's just as much your fault as it is mine that I was gone as long as I was,"

"YES!"

"oh," the sound escaped her as she just stood there staring at her wife not completely sure what had just happen. She was like a mad woman possessed she wasn't quite sure what she was saying and the answers weren't registering until that moment. Feeling like the wind had just been kicked out of her she just stood there like a deer in headlights.


	20. Just A Glimpse

**Chapter Nineteen: Just A Glimpse**

Loving Lauren would be her downfall, she knew that now. It wasn't so much the fact of loving the woman as it was everything that went along with loving her. The way the love broke her past her limits of breaking. The way the love dragged her into darkness and left her there. The way the love not only dragged her into darkness but made her enjoy it. The way the love made her abandon every moral she had. The way it turned her into a completely unrecognizable person. The way it kept her running back begging for more of whatever torture was to be dealt out.

Two simple words had changed the game yet again. It was suddenly all very different again and it was obvious it would never be the same again. True the chance of things ever getting back to how they were before was the dream of a fool. And now that fool had woken.

It was all so wrong, everything was all wrong.

The ding of the elevator doors opening broke her from her daze. Sighing to herself she walked into the cold, sterile apartment that had been forced on her. It was spacious, lavish, full of expensive things but it wasn't **hers**. There were no memories here other than those of herself brooding, longing for a life long gone. There was no personal touches by herself, her wife or child only of some designer who had done every unoccupied loft in the compound. The smell was of nothing other than cleaning supplies and emptiness. Everything was in its perfect place completely logically arranged for optimal use.

These were no new facts. For near a month she had occupied this space and it had annoyed her every time she took a step past the threshold but now looking out into the area she found annoyance forming into anger. She wanted to yell, to break every piece of glass while tipping the furniture over. She wanted to ruin the 'perfectness' of the room because life wasn't perfect. In life everything didn't have its perfect place, everything wasn't so clean cut and dry.

In a weird way the apartment had represented something fake. Yet why it made her want to go into a Godzilla like frenzy ripping the place apart inch by inch with her bare hands, she had no idea.

Forcing herself out of her unexplainable, décor rampage she made her way to the loveseat. Closing her eyes she let her head fall back with another sigh desperately trying to calm. A task not without challenge. The sound of her heart pounded in her ears. Smell of lavender floor wax with a hint of bleach clogged her nostrils. The faint reminisce of her wife coated her tongue though it had been nearing thirty minutes ago. The feel of dried blood beginning to irritate her skin.

Groaning aloud she slammed her fits down against the arms of the chair. Opening her eyes she looked forward staring at the wall. Every single sense was in overdrive. She felt as though she had overdosed on Ecstasy, while downing a dozen Redbulls, and being drunk off chi. It was beyond exhilarating yet frightening all at the same time. Everything was heightened so much that it hurt yet it was intoxicating.

She tried to remember her and Lauren's interaction that had undoubtedly lead to this. Desperately trying to remain focus she tried keeping the pleasurable memories and their affects apart from what she was looking for. She remembered perfectly asking Lauren to show her, remembered Lauren's teasing. And she really, really remembered Lauren's new feeding method. And then she remembered them kissing rather passionately. Even remembered tasting herself on her wife's lips and tongue. Remembered even enjoying the taste. But what she didn't remember was anything that would have set off this assault on her body.

Pushing herself from the chair she staggered to the bathroom, pushing the door open with a thud. Hands flying to the rim of the sink as she looked at her reflection. She was still herself, nothing had changed.

She looked like someone who had just slept twelve hours while getting a spa treatment which she found slightly strange. Something that shouldn't be possible since she was going on twenty-six hours without sleep. Pulling the hand towel from the wall she wet the tip before bringing it to her neck.

Rubbing the already beyond sensitive skin she watched herself in the mirror. And had she not she would have missed the way her eyes had flicked a shade of blue as she focused in on the blood. Feeling a wave of heat rush through her while her heart sped up she remembered the kiss they had shared was intense. The type that wouldn't have ended in just seconds. And while that fact itself was nothing but common knowledge there was an underlining fact. The entire kiss she distinctly remembered the new sweet taste. A sweet taste that had only gotten sweeter after the few first seconds.

Running the tip of her tongue over the tips of her teeth she tried to look for an explanation other than the one she had come up with. That one that would suggest that for the entire kiss Lauren had been bleeding. Which would mean the entire kiss she herself was feeding. And that couldn't be. Enjoying the faint taste in a moment of unconstrained passion was one thing but actively indulging in this means of feeding was something else.

"What did you do to me Lauren," she thought aloud while staring herself down with an intensity.

**Saint Mary's Hospital Room 301**

"Hey," Lauren greeted softly walking into the hospital room eyes slowly moving over Skylar who was only half awake.

"Hey,"

"I didn't mean to wake you babe," she swallowed back a mouthful of guilt as she leaned down kissing the woman on the top of her head. Guilt for what she had just been doing no longer than an hour ago. Guilt that she had the audacity to go down on Bo for hours, do things with Bo she wouldn't do with Skylar and yet waltzed in her calling her babe. Guilt because the woman had done nothing wrong but love her. Guilt because Skylar was laying in this bed for near a month now all because of her.

"I'd be mad if you didn't," she weakly smiled reaching out taking the Queen's hand. "Your visits are the best part of my day,"

"Mine too," she said with a smile, giving her girlfriend's hand a tight squeeze. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Doesn't surprise me, your day consists of nothing but paperwork and arguing with small minded, bureaucrats."

"I see your sense of over importance is returning-always a good sign,"

"They said I should be getting out within a day or so,"

"That's amazing babe," another twinge of gilt pulled at her. "It'll be nice to see you in something other than snowflake gowns,"

"I don't know I like it," she smirked. "Easy access,"

"Over estimating self-importance and a sex drive dare I say you are near a hundred percent,"

"Near," Skylar's smile faded quickly, a sense of saddens now coming of her in waves as she tilted her head further into the pillow.

"Why are you hiding," pulling her hand free she slipped her middle and index finger underneath the woman's chin. Gently guiding her to look up at her and not burring so much of her face in the pillow. Sighing softly to herself another massive wave of guilt slamming into her. The bruising was gone but the skin from right above her eyebrow to just under her cheekbone on the right side was a flushed red. And though there was no longer swelling her eye remained only open to half mass. "You are beautiful,"

"Lauren,"

"You are,"

"You have to say that you're my girlfriend and you feel guilty,"

"I'm Queen. I can rewrite, make, or erase history. I can start wars, destroy civilizations or create them. I don't **have** to do anything I don't want,"

"I'm half of who I use to be in a lot of ways and I don't know if I will ever be who I was again. I had a lot of faults before and now-I don't look like someone who is worthy of courting you. I—it was easy to pretend and I needed you these past weeks but now with me getting ready to be released it changes things. I'm just saying I get it if you have to leave,"

"You're right I do have to leave Skylar," Lauren stared down at her. Guilt, pity and hurt fusing into a single unbearable emotion. "I have work to do but I'm not leaving you,"

"Then you might not be as smart as everyone thinks,"

"Ah," she shrugged with a smirk. "It's not like you wanted me for my brains anyway,"

**Saint Mary's Hospital Room 347**

**:I feel bad I can't be there tonight for the service:**

Sean looked down intently watching his fiance write the words on the note book that rested in her lap. Frowning he tightened his hold around her waist, his sock covered foot slipping under the sheet to find hers.

"Doctor said another week of bed rest besides what are you going to miss. Crying people? Angry People? Long speeches that people don't mean half of what they say?"

**:It's to pay respect Sean. We knew some of these people and even if we didn't it's the right thing to do:**

"Yeah, yeah I know,"

**:Besides my doctor is an asshat:**

"He's the best in the country babe otherwise mother wouldn't have got him for you,"

**:I appreciate it and I appreciate his stellar resume BUT he is refusing for me to even try talking:**

"He isn't refusing. He said in another ninety or so days you can try small words in whispers."

**:I wait another ninety days and I risk never being able to speak again! I've done my research:**

"First off I told you, you had a exclamation mark limit of two," his eyebrow raised in true Lauren fashion as he pulled back a bit looking down at his future wife. She looked fine, perfectly healthy except the white gauze that was still wrapped around her throat. "And if you don't speak again so what,"

**:SO WHAT?!:** this time she pulled from his embrace, pain and anger fusing together over her features.

"I didn't mean it as who cares. I meant it as well-who cares. I love you baby and if you aren't able to speak again then we'll learn sign language or get some really cool note pads with gel pens that glow in the dark.

**:I want to speak again. I need to speak again. I want to be able to tell you I love you and say my vows. I want to be able to tell our children I love them.:**

"I know," fighting the subtle feeling of tears. "And I believe if anybody can do this again it's you my love. But I want you to know that if you can't-if that small chance happens I want you to know I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere."

**Compound South Sector**

"What?" Lauren folded her arms across her chest looking down to Kenzi who just stood there looking at the piece of grass they were supposed to be studying. "You don't think this is the right spot?"

"No I think it's great. It's right between the business and rural area of the city. It has the perfect spacing so it won't interrupt everyone's use of the area but can be seen. It makes a statement while being citizen friendly,"

"Then why the look? If you think it should be moved you need to tell me now before they place it in an hour,"

"Lauren the placing is great I told you."

"Then,"

"Are you sure we want to put a giant, forever reminder of the tragedy that this was?"

"This tragedy is no different then any other massive incident in history. You put something up to honor those who died. It makes them remembered, eternal in a way and that soothes the people. It reminds them that while tragedy can be devastating we've gotten through it,"

"Lauren lets call it what it is," Kenzi turned to face the blonde. "It's a way to cover our collective asses. Show the people that we—that you identify with the victims and not the-"

"Killer?" Lauren picked up the trailing sentence. "I feel for those people Kenzi, I really do. I morn them each and feel the weight of their deaths. I take responsibility for it. Hell I was the one who killed her, and while there are two sides to my motive of this memorial one side is pure of intent,"

"What did you do to me?" the two women looked over their shoulder to an approaching Bo. "What was this some petty, vindictive I'm gonna make you feel my pain type of deal?"

"Excuse me?" Kenzi asked more then a little annoyed at the interruption.

"Shut it pipsqueak this is between me Smeagol,"

"Smeagol?" Lauren's arms fell to her side, brow raising in annoyance. The faint remembrance of the reference coming into meaning for her.

"What is there a literal reference the great and powerful Lauren doesn't know?"

"No I know it, was just a little surprised you did since it didn't derive from a picture book or a playboy,"

"That's what I am to you right just some small town hick with a simple high school education. I know things Lauren, I spent a lot of time reading while I was away,"

"Surprised you had the time during your stint as a one woman brothel ,"

"Reverse it Lauren," the succubus growled taking another threatening step toward her wife. "Now,"

"I don't know what you are talking about Bo,"

"The hell you don't," her voice raised causing the people passing by to take notice something that made both Lauren and Kenzi on edge. "Reverse it now,"

"I don't know what you are talking about." the blonde held her ground scowling at the woman while trying to pretend their growing audience wasn't bothering her. "I have a job to do excuse me,"

"Don't walk away from me!" she growled grabbing Lauren by the wrist and pulling her back. "Tell me what you did to me!" though the volume continued to raise there remained a low growl to her words. Leaning in so her face was just an inch from her wife's. "Tell me!" demanding again as she tightened her grip.

"Bo," Kenzi barked as she held her hands up to the rapidly approaching guards, desperately trying to prevent an incident.

"Let me go," her voice was low but stern, a building rage behind her eyes as she felt blood steadily dripping down her arm. "We've had this fight before Bo—I won,"

"Care to go for a second round,"

"You couldn't handle Danielle what do you think you could do to me,"

"Bo," the calm tone of Denzel's voice caught her attention pulling her back down to reality. "Listen I don't want to hurt you but these men-" he held his hands out on both side gesturing to the swarm of guards who were slowly approaching sidearms drawn. "They won't hesitate,"

"Let me go and walk away," Lauren said this time a bit gentler. "Let me go and walk away," she repeated pulling her arm free with little trouble as she watched a coherence creeping into her wife. "Go home and take a shower, have a drink or several. Maybe a nap and after the service I will be there," as if her word was law she straighten her back, forced on her best political smile and nodded to the men to stand down.

"Which home is that?" the words pulled the blonde to a quick stop, her eye twitching. The remainder of her patience quickly deteriorating but clinging to what little self control she had left instead of turning around she pressed on leaving the scene of embarrassment behind her.


	21. Holy Love

A.N. Quick clear up for a couple people Sky/Lauren relationship didn't pop up just the last chap it was confirmed a few chaps before the start of the Danni showdown. It was kinda blown past so that's prob why you might have missed it.

**Rated Heavy M for language, and explicit sexual description. **

**Chapter Twenty: Holy Love**

"Tragedies are beyond words. There are never the right words to describe the magnitude of their destruction. There are never the right words to comfort someone from one. They truly are beyond words and this is no exception." Lauren took a pause eyes shifting from her folded hands on the podium out into the sea of candle holding on lookers. "I want to say something that will comfort you, that will ease some of the pain that has been caused. I want to stand here and tell you that everything is okay, that we should go on as nothing had happen. I want to do that but I can't. We lost four hundred and six people," the words caught in her throat, a heavy weight crushing her chest. "Good people, family, friends, co-workers these people were a part of us. And nothing can make up for that. No gesture or kind word will erase the devastation but the thing about tragedies is that you find out the type of person you are. You have the choice to let it take you down claiming another victim or you can rise above it. And each and every single one of you have done just that. You've all stepped up where it was needed, taken on responsibilities that weren't yours to take. We've proved that in the face of adversity we will not back down. We proved that no tragedy could divide us. That no devastation could hold us down." taking a pause for dramatic affect her eyes caught a glimpse of Connor Agathon slithering through the crowd. Sighing in frustration she turned her attention back to her captive audience. "We can never replace those lost, and we will never forget them. We don't need some monument for us to remember these family members lost or even honor them, no we are already doing that. This monument is for us, it's to remind us that we **can **overcome **anything** thrown our way. It's to remind us of the strength our brothers and sisters had and to take their lead. Now please a moment of silence,"

She turned to her right as did Kenzi and Ty who stood behind her. The monument was a six foot tall and six foot wide, black marble stone. Two hundred and three names craved in on both sides, human and Fae alike. The surrounding 'street' lights had been turned off for a three block radius but the full moon and hundreds of candles provided more than enough light to see easily.

Reaching the sixtieth penguin count in her head, she did a subtle tilt of the head before turning back to her people. Her eyes running through the crowd, Conner was there yet no other human leader. Her mind now shifting its attention onto his reason for being there left her suddenly feeling somewhat over this situation.

"Brothers, sisters go and honor our fallen how you chose. I've taken the liberty of creating a city wide tab tonight every bar and restaurant will feed you all on me. Please remember what this is for and be respectful,"

"Vivat Regina!" they yelled in union. "Vivat Regina!" repeating the chant raising the candles as she walked down from the podium trying to disappear from the crowds.

"Their loyalty baffles me," the trio slowed Connor walking up from the darkness. "You are literally and figuratively the reasons for these deaths and yet they chant at the top of their lungs for you. It's the loyalty of the Gods,"

"Gods? Interesting choice of word considering you lead the crusade against me accusing me of being a faithless monster. That all Fae were soulless, faithless monsters who believed in nothing other than myself,"

"It doesn't really matter what** I** believe does it," he took a step toward her looking from Lauren's escorts to Lauren herself. "For instance I believe your murderous little offspring is still running around out there. I believe your wife is quickly losing her control just like that human loving son of yours. I believe that you are not as innocent as you like to appear," pausing with a smirk he leaned in lips over her ear. "Sweet little Danni would vouch for that," pulling back smile growing as he saw the anger bubbling within the woman. "But that's just what I believe,"

"You're right—it doesn't matter,"

"Give your wife my best, oh and your girlfriend too heard she's getting out soon. Might have to send a fruit basket or something," His eyes shifted to Ty. "Should make you feel good to know you aren't the only one she two timed,"

"We're done here," Lauren let out making sure to keep herself in between the two men allowing Kenzi to push Ty along until they were ten feet ahead.

"Verita diablo manet in aeterum," his words halted her steps for a moment, his eyes running over her form waiting to see what she'd do.

"As soon as possible I want you do some research into our friend, I don't care if you have to break the F.H.L.P policy," Lauren ordered as she caught up to the pair.

"Alright but are you sure this is the time to be pissin' all over treaties considering the amount of heat you're already under," Kenzi asked shoving her hands into the pockets, the crisp breeze becoming an irritant.

"He's already broken them I'm sure of it,"

"So that's what your defense will be, well he did it first so oh well?"

"As of the start of this year the world's joint population of people who speak Latin is six. Three percent is of Fae, two of the higher levels of the Catholic Church and the last percent is split between historians and select cult members,"

"You think the American Speaker of House is in a cult?" Kenzi's brow raised as her lips pouted. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Not cult as in hiding in basements chopping off chicken heads. Cult as in an organized group of individuals who share a single principle interest in a single belief system and are unknown to the public,"

"Did you just use a million words to get around saying secret society?" shaking her head to herself, a chuckle threatening to turn into a laugh. "Cults, secret societies and law breaking all in the same conversation,"

"Verita diablo manet in aeterum means devil's truth remain eternally. I recognize the saying from writings I read years ago,"

"Writings of what?"

"Kenzi just do it," her tone rising as she pulled the group to an abrupt stop.

"Come on Tiny, I will help," Ty said under his breath already moving past Lauren without a glance.

"Remember who's been here for you when you had no one. Bo comes back and suddenly you're another person? Suddenly I'm not important anymore? Yeah I get I can't play dark and dirty dominatrix with you into the wee hours of the morning but that isn't a reason to shut out someone who's been there since day one,"

"I haven't shut you out,"

"I love you Lauren but I'm not in love with you so don't pull your schizoid act with me and expect me to keep coming back begging for another emotional torture fest, okay? When what happened was going down I didn't even know anything thing about it. I didn't even find out what went down until hours after from Denzel. And now you can't even tell me why you want me to do shit? You brush me off like some penciled pushing dingbat in the offices, I don't think so. So go have your fight-fuck session with Bo and forget all about everything but in the morning do me a favor and either send her back off or start working toward some kind of stability cause I'm getting whiplash from the mood swings and personality swaps,"

**Saint Mary's Hospital Room 347**

"Hey beautiful," Sean greeted with a big, goofy smile on his face.

**:What are you doing here?: **she scribbled on her note book, holding it up for him to see.

"Can't a guy just visit his future wife?"

**:Sean:**

"Fine, fine buzz kill," he pouted pulling his backpack from his shoulder. "First up Sign Language for Dummies," he pulled the thick yellow book out before placing in down on the bed near her feet. "Don't be offended the only reason I got the Dummies version is for myself."

**:?: **

"And onto the good stuff," over anxiously he nodded his head, wiggling his eyebrows. "A new art book made in France, fancy right. Two specialized black note books," pausing he place the four books down atop of the yellow one. "The fourth one is for me, I wanna be cool too. And I know you're thinking what the hell am I supposed to write on black paper with. Sixty-four pack babe, more colors then a rainbow." He set the three packs down. "Tell me this not badass,"

**:Sean. Do you know something I don't?:**

"What? No I just was running past the book store and they had the art book in the window-it made me think of you. And then I was looking around and found this stuff. Can't a guy spoil his girl?"

**:Sean-:** his hand went over hers.

"I really just thought you'd like the things and I really thought the gel pens were cool. I mean imagine my amazing stick figures in neon," she studied his features for several moments before allowing herself to relax.

**:Draw me a picture in pink:**

"Pink? Woman you trippin' pink is not going in my doodle book,"

**:Then you can't use my pens:**

"I bought em',"

**:For me so there MINE:**

"Fine, one pink picture coming up," he pretended to pout with a fake scowl as he grabbed a pack of pens and his notebook. "The things men do for love,"

**Lauren's Loft**

"Shit," Lauren mumbled to herself as the elevator doors parted and her eyes landed on her wife who sitting on the couch staring at the television.

"No I waited here just like a good little bitch for you,"

"Excuse me?" Lauren couldn't help the snorted chuckle that escaped as she kicked off her heels.

"You know what I did in between you ordering me here and you actually showing up,"

"It obviously wasn't calm down,"

"I thought. Thought a lot and believe me you haven't thought until you're thinking with your senses turned up to a thousand. At first it was really distracting but then it became helpful,"

"I see,"

"I'm like your personal dog. You tell me what to do and I do it. You beat me till I break and I run back to you dying for the tiniest sign of affection. No matter what you do to me I'll die before I let anyone touch you. So without going into the very, very, very long list of reasons to support this in short I'm your bitch,"

"Right," Lauren just nodded again walking over to the liquor cabinet.

"Right. Sure. Whatever. All the same quick, halfassed responses to dismiss me,"

"I wasn't dismissing you,"

"Really? Hm must be time for me to drop to my knees for you then,"

"Either you've had way too much to drink or I haven't had enough," chuckling to herself she poured her second refill.

"This is what happened to Danni isn't? You lied when you said you didn't touch her just like you always do," Bo finally repositioned herself on the couch so she could see her wife's face. "This is what drove her to madness,"

"Danielle couldn't handle it you're right. An already immensely sick child burdened with this—she couldn't handle it but it didn't come from me touching her. She partially ascended because she is my daughter. Sean is currently partially ascended because he is my son."

"Oh so it's just me you decided throw down the rabbit hole for kicks,"

"You asked me to show you a glimpse of what I've become and I did, I have been and you haven't complained once. I didn't force you to cut my tongue, I didn't force you feed or keep feeding. No that was you all you Bo,"

"Bullshit!" she jumped up with such speed and force the couch was pushed back by three of four inches. "I didn't do anything!"

"Now who's being delusional?"

"I didn't! Why would I Lauren, I didn't ascend or whatever voodoo shit you had-have going on,"

"I see you're deciding to use selective memory about that night," Lauren went to pour herself another refill until the exact thought '_fuck it'_ went through her mind. Bringing the rim of the bottle to her lips she tilted her head back and took a gulp.

"No,"

"Oh yes Bo,"

"No," she shook her head memories of that night flooding back. Each memory making action after action of hers make more and more sense. "No,"

"What did you think just because you ran from me, from our children that you could run from that too, from yourself?"

"No I didn't-I haven't—"

"Bo I could sense the change in you the second I saw you again. What did you really think all those extra abilities you picked up were gifts of age? You think you continued to get sharper and sharper by the year for no reason? You've been slowly feeling the effects just like Sean, you two had the luxury of having years to come to terms with this. Me? Danni? We weren't as lucky,"

"No, I don't believe you,"

"Jesus Bo!" her free hand running through over hair. "Just because you don't want it to be true doesn't mean it isn't," a false sweetness laced the bitter, self-accepted words.

Bo just stood there watching her wife through cynical eyes. There was a level of calmness about her even with her previous verbal attack she was no longer foaming at the mouth as she had been most of the day. Her mind running in circles judging everything she knew, weighing her wife's words. There was a an almost irrefutable chance that Lauren was telling the truth and there was a list with a million and one things the supported her statement. But there was also a huge chance that this was all just another lie. But why would she lie, especially about something like this? Because that was just what Lauren seemed to do and this just like always was how she played into them.

Letting out a heavy sigh with her mind slowly slipping free from the hyper-adrenalized cloud it had been in since the morning. She couldn't help the feeling of curiosity starting to pull at her. Making her wonder just how this night would play out the melodrama that was their relationship, just what would this chapter bring. What new levels of this unnatural attachment would show itself tonight.

"So what now Lauren?" she decided she'd make the first move in their chess game. Silence. "What you don't want to talk to me? I'm good enough to fuck but not to speak to?" she taunted but still silence. "Suddenly shy?" Silence. "And I'm the immature child? Can't bother to say one word to me?" Silence. "SO you think it's perfectly okay to just do this to someone and then sit back and watch like it's your own personal entertainment. I know that tiny thing deep beneath your chest you call a heart of yours has become so cold polar bears couldn't live there but don't you have some feeling. Some sort of room temp feeling for me?" Silence. "You really don't give a shit about me anymore do you," glaring silence. "What is your game here? What you want to personally see me fall apart? Hurt me until I can't take it anymore, until even I can't stand the thought of running back to you?" Silence. "Do you get off on it, some sort of sick rush?" Silence.

"You feel better yet," the blonde asked from behind the rim of her bottle.

"Why?"

"Why what," words laced with boredom and irritation.

"Why not let me go?" clenching her fists tightly Bo began to feel the days previous fury starting to flare. She couldn't hate Lauren, not completely. She could hate her for making her feel this way, feel this low. But she hated herself more for continuing to take it . "If you hate me so much, if you have such a low opinion of me? If you don't care about me then why keep this going?" and again there was nothing for her but silence. Swallowing back the vile taste of disgust not only at her wife but at herself. "You know what Lauren I don't care anymore. Don't bother answering I don't want one,"

"Yes you do," she placed the bottle down arms folding over her stomach. "Perhaps the only thing you want more is an answer as to why **you **can't let me go,"

"I have an answer it's called love,"

"Is that still a good enough answer for yourself?"

"Yes," she blinked back the feelings of tears. Lauren had been right as she often was, the simple answer of why through everything she continued to come begging for whatever Lauren dished out was no longer enough. But what other reason could there be. "I can't wait to hate you," she thought aloud in a broken whisper, salty tears betraying her.

"You already do,"

"No Lauren I am a lot of things at you, but hating you? No matter what you do, no matter how hard I try I can't hate you. You've broken me, you've hurt me, betrayed me, disgusted me-but I still can't hate you,"

"I can make you,"

"No you couldn't,"

"You care to find out if that's true?" the blonde's head tilted, hands falling to her sides.

"I bet you have a thousand things to say, to tear me down,"

"Tens of thousands,"

"I bet you could stand there all night and point out every flaw I have ever shown you," Bo took a step out from behind the couch.

"And then some,"

"I bet you have tons of dark, dirty secrets seeping from the corners of your closet that would make me sick to just look at you,"

"Good observation,"

"I bet you could keep your features stone as you said them all, keep your voice calm and steady as well," stopping with just three feet in between them. "But you made a mistake," the blonde's eyebrow rose. "You tilted your hand Lauren,"

"Excuse me?"

"It must be excruciating being you, it must be hell to have to go through life like you do now,"

"Have you gone mad?" rolling her eyes she began to side step her wife until she found herself being pulled back by the wrist. "Apparently you have,"

"Danni let it in and it devoured her. But you did the only thing you knew—shut down," the blonde pulled against the hold but this time Bo wasn't playing nor was she in the mood to let her wife run. "You are the weakest strong person I have ever met,"

"Did you ever think the reason I treat you the way I do is because I really just don't care?"

"Yes,"

"And what-you think that its not possible someone on this earth didn't want you?"

"Plenty of people don't,"

"Well at least you can admit that, now we just need you to admit I'm one of them," this time when she jerked her arm away she earned her freedom despite her wife's best attempt at prevention.

"You don't want me?"

"No,"

"You want me gone?" Bo asked on her wife's heels heading down the hall.

"Yes," Lauren spun around nostrils flaring, jaw clenching with narrow eyes.

"Then let me go," using her body and oddly intimidating presence she guided the woman back till she hit the wall with a thump. Earning no response an arrogant smirk played over her parted lips. Reaching up and around she gently pulled the rubber band from her wife's hair letting the thin piece of material to fall to their feet. Using the back of her hand she pushed silky soft locks from her path, leaning forward placing a lingering kiss at the tip of her jawbone. "Just let me go," moist lips grazing skin as she spoke. Pulling back just enough to see her wife's features.

"Never," a wave of lust washed over her body mixing with her blood coursing through her body until it was no longer just an emotion but a part of her. Something so imperative to her existence like her heart or lungs. A sense of yearning, of longing following so intense her stone features winced in pain. Reaching up grabbing the succubus by the face she kicked off the wall pushing Bo back until it was her body hitting the wall. Keeping the hold her eyes ran over her wife's apprehensive feature. "Never," the word was still a whisper only with more conviction.

For the first time since their late nights had began it truly had nothing to do with sex yet everything to do with love. The further they ran from each other, the further they fell apart the more it became about love. Irony at its cruelest.

Reaching up over her wife's hold Bo took a hold of her wife's face pulling her in. Their lips touching matching the effect a match dropping into gasoline would have. In synchronization their hands moved to their bodies. Feet guiding them to their bedroom while lips continued in a frenzy never leaving each other.

The back of Lauren's calfs hitting the mattress as their bodies joined forming into one. Thighs slipping in between themselves earning a collective moan at feel of their lover's arousal. Hands slipping to Bo's sides gripping her tightly as she let her own body free fall to the bed.

Air seemingly inconsequential their tongues continued to duel muffling moans as Lauren's hands slid underneath the collar of her wife's shirt. One pull from each hand and the thin material was ripped from the succubus' body. Unsatisfied hands slid down between them ripping open the jeans, this making Bo pull back.

"Those were expensive," labored breaths making her complaint seem pointless.

"We're rich," a lazy smirk came over her lips as she ripped the material further apart. "You can buy ten more just like it," she pushed her head back against the firmness, eyes shifting down to what was visible of her wife's body. "And maybe a bra or two," teasing though she was more then a little pleased Bo hadn't bothered to wear a bra or underwear.

"Why just so you can ruin them too," she pouted.

"Mm-hm," effortlessly she rolled them over until Bo was the one pinned.

"Why are you always on top,"

"I have an enormous appetite, what can I say,"

Fixing herself into a push up she slid down fully ready to slide down till she reached her destination but nipples taut with desire caught her attention. Suddenly needing to feel them in her mouth she settled her lips hungrily over one breast before moving to the other. Delight mixing with satisfaction at the moans filling her ears.

Smiling to herself with joy that she could make her wife feel so good rather then at a feeling of ownership. Sliding the rest of the way she let her elbows bend slightly, lips lightly kissing along the pantie line. Tilting her head tossing her hair from her face, she looked up at Bo who was staring down at her helplessly.

"Lets find out if our curse can bring as much pleasure as it does pain," her half smirk widened slightly just enough for Bo to see the two teeth descend. Green slowly mixing into brown until it was the victor. Dipping her head without further warning she boldly licked the hidden lips that anxiously awaited her return.

"Lauren," were the repetitive cries that filled the room and most likely the entire loft. Bo's hips arching greedily against the blonde's mouth craving as much of this heavenly bliss possible. Her entire body trembled with pleasure, legs weakening more and more by the second but she couldn't help her greedy nature. Needing Lauren closer, needing more pleasure, needing more of everything. Lazily she draped her legs around her wife's neck. A simple act yet enough to push her wife down further. Tongue slipping deep within wetness, rather then her teasing attention.

"You taste amazing," she whispered against her. Tonight may have been more about a buried love rather then an unrestrained lust but that didn't mean she couldn't tease. Alternating between the tip of her tongue and the points of descended teeth to bring the woman to the edge of bliss and then backing off. A pattern repeated five times before she pulled back, looking up at Bo. "Just say the word," teasingly the tip of her tongue darted out licking her lips.

The succubus' eyes were barely open as she hazily looked down at the incredibly sexy woman who was delivering so much pleasure. Though her mind was no longer firing on all cylinders she was sure Lauren had taken her silence as a challenge. Lauren's head dipping back down Bo just watched her making what faint control she had left slip away.

Unable to take it any longer she pushed her head back against the mattress, biting her lower lip as she took handfuls of sheet.

"Yes, yes Lauren," she begged for her release while a sharp, burning need clenched at her core spreading up into the pit of her stomach. Arching her back up further, legs using what strength was left to tighten. The new pressure of her wife's lips made her ready to die in pure, unfamiliar ecstasy.

No longer were biting, licking and sucking three separate entities but one. Needle sharp points broke through flesh, tongue continuing to tease as sucking earned Lauren far more then sweet wetness.

Screaming out as her climax ripped through her body three times in a row. Time stopping as she lost herself in pure bliss, pure ecstasy that just continued to ripple through her body. Even with the pure bliss the longer her wife continued the sensitivity grew. Letting her legs fall to the bed she let the sheet go and grabbed the collar of her wife's shirt pulling her up.

"Wh-y are y-ou still dr-dressed," labored, broken whispers came out the question butchered so much she regretted not waiting longer to speak.

"Because you don't share my lack of patients,"

"Doubt that," she said with a huskiness, her mind clearing to an extent. Hands reached up but instead of grabbing the collar, hem or even sides to rip the buttons she grabbed in the middle of her wife's chest between her breast. Smirking she gave a tear only the shirt wasn't all that was ripped off but the bra as well. "See no patients," her tone that of a child who got the last cookie and of a woman dying to dive back into ecstasy.

Stealing a page from Lauren's book she flipped them, a low growl escaping in delight at her dominance. Lauren stared up as she watched her succubus' features twist in pain, and she would have been concerned had she not known what Bo was doing. Clenched eyes slowly opened exposing Lauren to an interesting picture. Her wife's eyes were their consumed, piercing blue yet her K9s had descended as expected.

"Didn't know it would hurt-or that I could do that,"

"There really is nothing like you in existence is there," whispering she reached up running the back of her hand affectionately over the succubus' cheek.

" If there was then I would have lost you long ago,"

Not allowing for time to fixate on her words she balanced her weight on her left elbow, sliding her free hand down Lauren's tight stomach. Smiling down at the blonde cockily she used just her thumb and index finger to undo the button, zipper and separate the material. Hand slipping past the material, her smile growing at the discovery that Lauren hadn't been wearing any further obstructions.

"A habit I picked up from my wife,"

"Well remind me to thank her,"

Without any further teasing she drove two fingers straight into tight wetness. Both moaning as she did, Lauren's hips immediately arching up. Hips rocking against skillfully pleasing fingers, Bo maneuvered herself so her thigh was pressing against her hand, that was quickly pulling her wife to the edge or reason. Resting atop Lauren's thigh she began rocking her own hips. The blonde refusing to miss an opportunity bent her free leg pressing against her wife's body, while she pressed her occupied thigh up against Bo's weight. If there was one thing to be said about Lauren in the bedroom was that she knew how to work her lower body unlike any other.

Climax after climax the two had kept this position until the pain had become unbearable. But the pleasure out weighed the pain thus both refused to break it.

"Say it,"

"Wh-what?" Lauren's eyes opened to half mass, moans surrounding the question.

"Tell me,"

"I-" swallowing back a moan she tried to bring her mind to some level of functionality. Her body continued on autopilot while her mind had drifted into her own heaven but now she had to return from the clouds...to a degree. "I love you,"

She knew what speaking these condemning words would cause. She knew the pain that laid in wait for speaking them, not just for herself. She knew she had spent almost a month trying to disconnect from that emotion. She had vowed she wouldn't speak it aloud again. She Knew no good would come from this. But yet she let them slip from her lips just as easily as she use to and God did they feel good. It felt natural, it felt right, it felt like she was finally coming home.

Tonight somehow things had changed between them. It wasn't planed, it wasn't even wanted in so many ways yet here they were.

Bo nodded hesitantly, features a sense of fear in them as she stared down at her wife's neck. Suddenly understanding Lauren just nodded, biting her lip to keep from moaning as Bo's motions never once faltered.

Lips parting as she allowed her mouth to open she leaned down, Lauren turning her head to the side. Pressing her new accessories to her wife's skin she hesitated until her wife's hand gently laid on the back of her head guiding her down. Giving into her desire and curiosity she pressed down until she felt the unusually sweet, warm liquid fill her mouth.

Arching her neck against Bo's mouth she couldn't contain the moans. The feeling was driving her insane. And by the way the succubus continued to move, to feed she knew the feeling was mutual.

"I love you-I love you-" she cried out arms wrapping around the succubus' body holding her tight. Tears slipping from the corner of her shut eyelids. She wasn't exactly sure what had just happen but she felt something inside of herself break. Maybe it was the new experience, maybe it was the multiple climaxes as another approached. Maybe it was because she had already said it. Or maybe it was just finally time to let go.

Bo pulled back the exhilaration of emotions in overdrive was rushing back to her yet this time it was nothing but pleasurable. Passion, bliss, climax, desire, all had been elevated. But the most notable was the warm feeling engulfing her soul. Staring at Lauren who's tears continued to slowly slip from her eyes.

"I love you," she said with a sense of defeat and a sense of pride.

Nothing could tear her down like this woman's love and nothing could build her up like it.

Fucking a million men and women in luxurious hotels and homes couldn't touch one climax at the hands of this woman. All the foreplay filled nights from models, athletes, and sexual Fae couldn't do for her what simple touch, word or glace from this woman could do. She could dabble in worlds finest substances and none could get them as high as this woman. Each and every single one of them could confess and prove their love ten times over and it would never equal an once of this woman's love.

Lauren was the most imperfect, perfect creature she had even known. She was flawed beyond repair yet flawless. She was the coldest person you'd ever meet with the biggest heart. The stupidest genius you could ever find. Cruel yet kind, hard yet gentle, broken yet perfectly crafted. She herself was a contradiction.

Bo had traveled the world seen near everything there was to see and yet the most magnificent thing her eyes had ever laid upon was this woman. In all her years she never found something as unique and exquisite as this woman and she was her's.

Skylar, Ty, Sasha, Akuma, Koari, Nadia, the droves of endless admirers could go to hell. They could think what they wanted, Lauren was never theirs.

Time, distance, turmoil, tragedy and whatever else the world had thrown at them, was throwing at them it didn't change that fact. Lauren was her's and only her's.

"I love you Lauren," she said removing her hand, stopping her movements completely. "I love **you**,"

Wife. Lover. Soul mate. Friend. Mate. Enemy. Reason for living. Reason to want to die. Reason for existence. Good and bad it was all Lauren.

And Lauren was all her's.


	22. Changing Of The Tide

**Chapter Twenty-One: Changing Of The Tide **

A soft whimper filled the air as her mind drifted to consciousness. Heavy eyelids parting to half mass as she stretched her arms up, palms enjoying the cool feel of the wall. A yawn escaping as she went to stretch the rest of her body only to find it an impossible task. Looking down into the darkness, eyes slowly adjusting she found her wife nuzzled against her stomach. Arms wrapped around her body so tight that for a moment Lauren had thought the woman was awake.

A gentle smile forced its way onto her lips at the breath taking sight of the woman who lay sleeping. Memories of last night trickling back to her like they normally did throughout the day but this time it was different. Instead of remembering the dark, dirty words commanded that were the normal for them with the exception of last night. Now she remembered the loving, tender words whispered. Instead of rough, painful grabs she remembered tender touches. Instead of dark consuming passion she remembered pure heavenly bliss.

Darkness had its place in her life, had it joys in her sexual desires. But pure, love that still had traces of innocents pleased her more than anything-though it was a truth long forgotten until last night.

Continuing to let herself indulge in this fantasy she brought her right arm down from the wall and let it drape across her wife's shoulder. A soft, muffled moan escaping as the succubus' nuzzled further against Lauren's stomach. Even in slumber the succubus desired to be as close as possible, something that the blonde couldn't help but feel a sense of warmness at.

Though her heart, her soul rejoiced in tenderness. Rejoiced in the long missing love they were used to there was a strange feeling that hung over her. Laying here wrapped in her wife's arms, waking from a night of passion fully in love was truly like coming home. Everything in its right places just perfectly as she left it. But there was an unfamiliarity about it.

Sex was easy. Wild or tame, loving or rough, love or lust. She knew herself inside and out, knew Bo inside and out. Knew beyond a doubt what to do to achieve each levels of pleasure. But laying here in affection felt unknown. She had forgotten how to hold her wife. Forgotten how sleep with her. Forgotten how to be okay with her back in the bed. Forgotten how to let herself feel, let alone enjoy being held. Forgotten how to be an equal rather than dominant or submissive, and even in her submissiveness there was an underlining dominance to it since it was always her choice when to be either.

'_How do you love someone you've spent ten years trying not to?'_ Was the thought that plagued her mind.

Idly her fingertips continued to move in patterns over the succubus' warm skin. Their chests rising and falling rhythmically together, bodies joining as one like the last two pieces of a puzzle. Hearts even minds could be stubborn to no end but like the soul the body knew where it belonged. Knew what it needed.

"Not yet,"

"Hm?"

"I'm not ready for this to be over," a sleep laced, muffled whisper. "Just a little longer," this time she had tilted her head back, looking up into her wife's eyes. A begging plea that nearly broke Lauren's heart.

"How about forever,"

"Forever? Hm…I like forever," goofily smiling to herself she gave into her body cuddling back into Lauren's.

Forever did seem like a good choice. Forever would be nice but forever was fantasy, they had tried forever before and despite the fact they kept finding a way back to each other it just didn't work. So why did she want to believe herself. Why did she want to believe the faintest chance that it could work this time.

So many lies and secrets were still intertwined within every conversation they had. Unhealed battle scars continued to bleed. Past betrayals continued to haunt them making trust between them nothing but a word.

There wasn't a chance in hell they could ever make it work—but why then did she believe they could.

She knew she should let go but she couldn't. She knew she should move on but she couldn't. She knew she should shut this down this moment but again she couldn't. Or maybe it was won't, possibly both.

She had tried loving Bo and it brought her nothing but pain. She had tried not loving Bo and that had brought her nothing but pain. She hated who she could be with Bo but also hated who she was without her. She was damned if she did or if she didn't which meant the true question was which pain was worth it. Was the pain of her freedom worth it or was the pain of being with her wife worth it.

She knew the answer despite how she fought it, how she ran from it.

She could throw running away in Bo's face all she wanted but if rare moments of self-honesty she did the same. The only difference was Bo chose to leave her heart here while her body ran away. And she decided to leave her body here while her heart ran.

Two broken pieces of the same creation that could only ever be complete when together. She couldn't help but think how strong they were together even with fighting each other every step of the way. And couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they ever stopped fighting and worked together.

She had been accused of not loving her children, of putting her wife above them having been quoted once saying that Bo was her reason for living. But it wasn't true she loved her children, would die for them in an instant. There wasn't a thing she wouldn't do to protect them. And though she hadn't been the perfect parent, she hadn't always showed them her love they completed her. They completed her in a way that was natural, that was a continuation of herself that made it as easy to love them as breathing. And maybe that's why she hadn't always showed as much affection as she needed too. A continuation of herself should have been able to understand everything that went unsaid.

But Bo wasn't a continuation of herself but a part of her. A vital part to her existence that she always seemed to be trying to obtain, in one way or another.

Looking down at her wife she wanted to break, wanted to be weak and emotional. She wanted to be the woman Bo had fallen in love with but she just couldn't seem to remember how. She just couldn't seem to wrap her mind around how to be that vulnerable again. Couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of giving someone the chance to cause that much pain again. She couldn't even remember how to be a woman let alone a wife.

She only knew how to be a Queen. Only knew how to be a distant parent. Knew how to do her job without flaw. She could only remember how to accurately be a coldhearted bitch, something that until last night she was okay with.

In this moment watching her wife sleeping blissfully, hearts beating as one she knew without a doubt she wanted to learn. Wanted to learn how to be a lover again, a wife again but how? How could she learn something like that again? How could she ask a woman who's given her so much to give a little more? How could she look at Bo and admit the truth? How could she Lauren Lewis-Lauren Alreyna, the Queen of the Fae ask for help?

**Saint Mary's Hospital**

"I don't think you're understanding," Sean barked through a clenched jaw, eye twitching as he stared down his future wife's doctor.

"I think you are the one who is having trouble understanding son,"

"Do I look like you're son? I have two parents both women, I am not your son," apologetically the doctor shook his head meaning it as nothing more than a platitude but turned into something fuling the young man's anger. "You need to fix this,"

"You may be the Prince but that doesn't mean that you can order everything away. She suffered extensive damage. We've done everything possible. I'm sorry but the damage is irreversible,"

"Then let her try speech therapy now instead of waiting,"

"You aren't understanding-there will be no speech therapy. Not now and not in a month or two or three. Borrowing a miracle there is nothing left to do,"

"What am I supposed to do?" Sean's voice raising slightly, a tightness spreading through his chest.

"If you're religious then I say start praying, if you're an educated man then I say you make peace with this and move on," the doctor took a few steps back placing Mila's chart on the reception desk. "After all she is just a human,"

**Skylar's Apartment **

"You were supposed to wait for me," Lauren griped walking into the dark apartment. Her eyes taking a minute to adjust before she found Skylar sitting on the couch at the far end of the wall.

"Well when the first hour passed you were late, when the second passed I didn't think you'd make it but held out hope. And after the third hour I got tired of waiting,"

"I'm sorry I had overslept and then things got out of control and time slipped away-"

"You were fucking Bo,"

"Wh—what?" Lauren was caught off guard by the accusation stopping in midstream as she was sitting down next to her girlfriend. "I—what do-"

"Lauren I know about you two, I've known the whole time,"

"Sky I just—it's not what you think I mean I don't-"

"Lauren, Lauren it's okay. I understand,"

"You do?" Lauren asked in utter shock how could this woman understand something she didn't understand herself?

"I get it all Lauren I **am** a succubus, I know the need to feed especially for you. I get the unresolved history and I get that I was away for almost a month. I'm happy you've been taken care of,"

"Oh," Lauren just blinked blankly at her girlfriend. She knew Skylar really was one of the most understanding people she had ever met but this took it to a whole other level. Several time she opened her mouth to speak but found herself speechless, after all what do you say to that. "Well I-Sky I really don't know what to say,"

"Don't say anything then," the woman smiled shifting on the couch. "I don't want us to be over especially over something like this. Don't get me wrong I'm not happy about it but I get it,"

"Skylar I really didn't mean for this to happen,"

"I know babe just-did you mean what you told me yesterday?"

"Yes," she answered with such conviction, a tenderness to her voice. And she still did mean everything she said...until she remembered the promising not to leave part. Until this morning she had meant it but waking up with Bo in her arms. Their words, the feelings, the lovemaking, all of it had changed something inside of her. So while the deceleration was at the time completely true at this moment it was only around fifty percent true.

She wasn't ready for her and Skylar to be over. She may not have been in love with this woman but they had history, they had shared so much of each other. This woman had brought out a softness within herself she thought didn't exist. And they just didn't feel over, they didn't feel done. But then there was her wife. Things were different somehow and so was she. She found herself awake with a new sense of softness to her, a giddiness deep down at the thought of them being together again.

"Good, then we're okay."

"Oh. Okay then," after several moments of silence Lauren stood with an awkward smile, leaning down she gave the woman a quick peck on the lips before starting back toward the door. Emotional epiphany and turmoil or not she still had a job to do.

"I'm back now though," Lauren stopped just inches from the door turning back to the woman with a genuine smile.

"I know I've been waiting for this moment for weeks. Well maybe not this moment but you being back and here," she decided to stop while she was ahead.

"I mean I'm back now so this thing with Bo," she left the sentence there knowing the rest could be left unsaid. By the look on Lauren's face she understood completely.

**Bo's Apartment**

She couldn't help the goofy smile that had plastered itself to her face as she tightly clenched at the sheet wrapped around her body. She wasn't a complete fool of course this couldn't last in fact the moment they went their separate ways this morning it was probably over. Lauren was most likely off somewhere with Skylar or flirting with one of a billion suitors but that was a problem for later. Right now she just wanted to bask in the reminisce of last night.

Smile growing as the doors opened she wanted nothing more then take a nice long, hot shower and day dream about the various actives of last night and her wife. For the first time really since arriving the apartment didn't annoy her.

Shuffling in still on her imaginary cloud she headed straight for the bedroom or at least she was until a yellow envelope resting next to her cell phone on the counter caught her attention. Looking around as if expecting the sender to still be there. Ignoring the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach to just ignore it.

Making sure the sheet would hold itself up at least for a couple moments she ripped open the envelope pouring the contents onto the counter. Picking up the small, plastic Visa card a sticky note with '5,000' written on it. Picking up another card this one a MasterCard with the same sticky note on it.

"I do appreciate flowers," she chuckled to herself holding one in each hand eyes shifting back and forth. Shrugging it off she tossed them back down before picking up the last thing left. A small rectangle piece of paper. Flipping it over her eyes widened a sick feeling spreading through her stomach.

**First class flight 187 to France leaving at 10:45 p.m. **

Her eyes just kept moving over the words reading and rereading hoping her eyes had been playing a trick on her. Hoping that this was a bad dream of some sort and in a moment she'd wake up and still be in her bed with her wife.

But she didn't wake up nor did the words change. It really was a plain ticket with two credit cards, it was a rather obvious pay off.

Picking up her phone taking several calming breaths before texting.

**Me:** Lauren we NEED to talk

**Lauren:** I know I'll see you tonight after work

**Me:** No we NEED to talk

**Lauren**: Bo I am working

**Me:** WE NEED TO TALK LIKE NOW

**Me:** Or very soon it can't wait

**Lauren**: Bo I AM WORKING. I'm in a meeting until six when I will be home

**Me:** A meeting that is more important then me needing to talk to you?

**Lauren**: Don't start this please. I am about to start a meeting that will decide weather the species of Meh-teh will continue to be around past this year

Bo tossed her phone down nostrils flaring what exactly was she going to say, '_No don't_ _save a species from extinction_'. Scoffing to herself she stomped to the bedroom picking up a random pair of black jeans from the floor among a pile of six. Continuing to pout she search the floor for a bra and shirt her mind arguing with itself. Though the texts hadn't really entered her internal argument every couple of minutes she repeated 'Meh-teh' to herself the nagging feeling she should know what it was.

Now fully dressed she walked back out into the kitchen eyes narrowing in on the discarded contents. The question of why the name sounded so familiar now repeating itself over and over again the annoyance at why she couldn't place it growing.

**Saint Mary's Hospital Room 347**

**:Hey: **she held up the note pad as he walked in, her once gleeful smile vanishing at the anger written over his face. **:What's wrong?:**

"I think you were right about your doctor. Maybe we should find another one,"

**:Why? What's wrong?:**

"Maybe we should go outside of this city. I have money even if mother won't pay for it so don't worry I'll take care of it,"

:**Sean what's happened?: **a sense of panic growing within herself as she watched the young man slowly unraveling. He was never one to really show emotion, never show when he was scared or upset. He had been the perfect model after Lauren, if you didn't know them, didn't know where to look then you'd think they hadn't had feelings at all. But in this moment there was an anger, a pain, a nervous aura around him. She could see it in his features, his body language, feel it radiating off him as he stood there shifting his weight from side to side.

"I just don't think they are doing everything they can for you. I know what I had said but if you feel like you can start trying speech therapy then lets find a place that will help you. If you feel you need to wait then okay-but lets find somewhere who will do things to help you get to where you need to be,"

**:They said I wasn't going to-: **her hand had been shaking so bad the paper had ripped, tears glassing over her eyes. :**They-:**

"I don't care what they said. They are a bunch of closed minded idiots!" he yelled out looking behind himself at the open door making a pair of passing by nurses stop and look at him. "They don't know you," he took two large steps to the bed, taking her trembling hand in his pulling it away from the pad. "They don't know the strength you have. They don't-you are stronger then pretty much every Fae I've ever me. You have never let anyone or anything keep you down, keep you from what you want and this—-this won't be any different baby. It won't," his own tears slipped down his cheeks though he hadn't even noticed as he felt his heartbreaking. He watched the woman he loved breaking apart, her own heartbreaking beyond repair. Her features twisted in so much pain he'd cut his own heart out just to make it stop. "Baby-baby please," he begged as she pulled her hand from his, her other hand throwing the notepad to the floor. "Mila just—-just-" he tried reaching for her as she turned her back to him but she just jerked away.

He took a step back tears steadily escaping him perhaps the greatest sense of helplessness in his life washing over him.

**Lauren's Office **

"Ohhhh! What do you know," Bo barked as she came storming in, the door hitting the wall with a thud. "Hm I see no one here. Do you? Do you see someone here?" her voice continued to grow louder as she walked over to the desk. Pointlessly looking around the room that had no one other then Lauren and now herself occupying.

"Is everything okay?" Lauren asked brow raised as she set her folder down before pulling off her glasses.

"Like you give a shit. I mean really Lauren you're sick-you have some weird, perverse sickness that just makes you cold and mean and rude and evil. If you look in the dictionary now next to devil-it's your picture."

"Bo-"

"Nh-uh. No more Jedi mind tricks into making me listen to your brainwashing lies. You're gonna listen to me for once and listen. No trying to lure me with sex or double talk or sex. I know what a Meh-Teh is Lauren. A Yeti! A Yeti Lauren like seriously you can't talk to me because you're having a meeting," she held her hands up doing quotations as she said meeting. "With a Yeti, an abominable snowman from Rudolph the Red nose reindeer? I have kids too Lauren-they're our kids! Every Christmas Lauren!"

"Bo if you would just-"

"It's not even so much about the avoiding me or the lying yet again or the implying I'm stupid because I wouldn't figure it out. But to try and get rid of me without even saying it. Leaving it there like I'm some whore you can't bother to hand the money too. Well you know what?! I'm a woman who enjoys sex not a whore and not that it would matter to you because my legs are closed. To you they are closed! No more mind games or sex games it's over bub, the gig is up! And don't worry I will be gone-and I will take your money not because I need it but since you threw it away I may as well take it." she began to turn to leave but stopped turning back to her wife who just stared wide eyed. "If this Queen thing ever falls through you'd have an amazing career as an actress," scoffing she spun around full speed to the door or at least that was the plan. Her feet glued themselves to the floor, knees locking. "Shit,"

Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Standing at, at least nine feet tall covered in only Hawaiian swim trunks and shaggy white fur. Blue, three claw feet tapping the floor as if to a beat, a jumbo size Slurpee in matching color hands. Eyes wide as it stared back a her.

"Sorry I didn't mean to over hear but your voice kind of carries and I was supposed to be here," he shrugged voice sounding as goofy as he looked.

"It's fine," Lauren sighed glaring at her wife's back. "Bo this is Eddie, Eddie this is my wife Bo,"

"Eddie?" Bo looked back to her wife and then to him cheeks turning beat red. "The Yeti?"

"My parents were hippies-funny sense of humor," he took a drink biting down on his straw that was possibly the most ridiculous thing of this situation, that he was bothering with a tiny straw. "You can guess why. Seventies dude-trippy time,"

"Before he needed to take a** break **to use the bathroom we were discussing a new colonization in Alaska. A two hundred citizen city consisting of all known Yetis and several other endangered, extreme weather tolerable species."

"Of course," Bo said to herself. Here she was screaming like a mad woman while her wife was creating a civilization and saving species from no longer existing. "I'm just gonna," continuing to whisper, cheeks burning while taking steps backward. "Go-somewhere. You two continuing saving the world and what not,"

"She isn't normally like that we're currently trying to work somethings out," Lauren let out while putting her glasses back on desperately hoping they could brush past this.

"Have you been married to a Yeti female? We literally fear going to sleep. **That** would be a great day for us,"

Lauren smiled picking the folder back up. She wanted to laugh, the statement itself being worth a quick chuckle. But what really made her want to laugh was that for them recently was a great day. But laughing at something like this, something that would be embarrassing was not what a Queen should do. What a Queen should do was remain proper continuing to work on the task at hand and trying to act as though she, the most powerful person in all of Faedom did not just get figuratively 'bitch-slapped' in front of someone.

**Outside**

Bo ran her hand through her hair sighing repeatedly to herself. Her cheeks continuing to burn, never had she felt so ridiculous. Everything continued to turn itself upside down.

On one hand she shouldn't have felt guilt or embarrassment pretty much everything she had said was true. Lauren had treated her like a whore, paying her to leave after a night of passion. She had tried to send her off like an unwanted child without having the decency to say it to her face. She was angry, hurt, betrayed and yet again fell into the trap.

On the other hand she had yet again let her emotions get the better of her. Ran into Lauren's office, the Queen's office and yelled a rant that she didn't even completely remember or know what she was saying. She had undoubtedly embarrassed herself and her wife throwing a temper tantrum like a spoiled brat.

Shaking her head she began to slow her walk quickly becoming short of breath. Her chest starting to tighten, a wave of heat hitting her like a train. She was unable to tell if her cheeks continued to be flush from embarrassment or from her sudden heat flash. Looking around for the nearest guard she turned up empty not because there hadn't been one near but because she found her vision quickly blurring.

Her lips parted to call for help but it was to late her voice like her vision was completely gone. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of free falling backwards.


	23. Life's Little Surprises

A.N. Hola guys, time for a quick thanks to all of you. I just want to make sure every so often I say I appreciate all of you taking the time out of your day to continue to read my little story. Since the second half has begun it's calmed down a bit hope it's still got you entertained.

Also I did update with chap 21 just an hour or so ago and now I wanted to rush to get this one up because it's small. One exception to my promise to keep them above 2,500 words.

Thank you all again,

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Life's Little Surprises**

Skylar rolled off the couch wiping her eyes with the back of her hand a groan escaping as her hand made contact with the tender area. It was so easy to forget the injury now; it hadn't hurt every second of every day any longer. But the lightest touch still felt like she was being set on fire. Grumbling to herself at the stupidity of the action and even more so at the stupidity of falling asleep without taking her antibiotics.

Walking to the kitchen hoping there was some kind of food left that hadn't spoiled something by the door had caught her attention. Diverting her path she walked to the door picking up the semi-thick, semi-large envelope. It hadn't been unusual for people to drop things off but that was when she was Head of Security now that job was currently being held by Denzel. Or at least until she recovered enough to make it through the day without taking pain killers.

Shuffling back over to the couch she ripped open the envelope her curiosity beyond peeked. Peeking in a stack of papers and at the bottom a tiny tape recorder. Pulling the recorder out and immediately pressing play.

**FOUR WEEKS AGO: **a female computerized voice came on.

: **But there isn't a night when I don't wish it was you. Sometimes on nights when I'm exhausted I can close my eyes and drift off just enough to convince myself that it's your arms around me. Sometimes I can ignore the name on the caller I.D. And pretend it's you checking in on me or flirting with me. Sometimes I pretend it's you touching me: **Skylar gripped the envelope leaning back against the cushion immediately recognizing the voice.

**:You need to stop:**

**:Stop wishing it was you?:**

**ONE HOUR AGO:**

**:She isn't normally like that we're trying to work some things out:**

**END RECORDING:**

She clenched her jaw the pain it caused not even registering as she threw the tiny recorder across the floor. Leaning back up she poured the rest of the contents onto the glass coffee table though she had been wrong they weren't papers. They were a stack of black and white photos capturing Bo and Lauren in various compromising positions, the date stamped at the bottom, right hand corner. Eyes scanning over the dates rather than the actual pictures. Anger and nausea turning to heartbreak as she noticed several had been before the incident.

**Saint Mary's Hospital Room 406**

"Look at sleeping beauty coming too,"

Bo heard the unfamiliar male voice. Her eyelids felt like a six hundred pound gorilla was sitting on them though it didn't come close to the weight on her chest. Her entire body was sore, throbbing and on fire yet her toes and fingers felt numb. She could move them but they just didn't feel right. Her mind still in a foggy haze prevented her from remember exactly what had happen or where she was.

"Got to open your eyes if you plan to see,"

Though unfamiliar she couldn't help the annoyance quickly rising. Taking a deep, painful breath she forced her eyes open half way. Surprise washing over her she found Kenzi sitting on a chair staring at her.

"Kenz?"

"Yeah, it's me," she said softly standing up and walking over to her. "How you feeling?"

"Um-I don't know,"

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I remember yelling at Lauren-oh and Eddie. I met Eddie,"

"And after that?"

"No," she shook her head struggling to keep her eyes open. A weird sense of happiness building at the concern of her best-friend. "Why? Is everything okay,"

"Well that is a question with many answers,"

"Who's that?" Bo sighed at the male voice yet again interrupting her.

"I'm Doctor Shaw,"

"What?" Bo turned toward the voice forcing her eyes open mind being jolted into reality. "What happened? Is everyone okay? Is Lauren and my son?"

"Ma'am you need to stay calm otherwise you're going to pass out again,"

"I passed out?"

"Yep. Took three guards to carry you here," Kenzi let out folding her arms over her chest concern and impatiens over her features. "Might want to think about a diet,"

"Actually she may think about eating more," he looked between the women before flipping his chart shut. "In fact you may want to start thinking about feeding up to three times more then you are now. I got your tests back and it shows you're lacking in not one but several areas of vitamins and natural enzymes,"

"I passed out cause I haven't eaten enough?"

"One of several reasons yes,"

"Then what are the other several?" her annoyance growing with every second as her mind became clearer and clearer.

"Well the deficiencies, not eating enough food as well as not feeding as much as a succubus should. It also seems as though you didn't get proper treatment after your run in with your daughter,"

"Why do I feel like I keep getting some run around here?"

"He has to inform Lauren before he can tell you. He has to know what she wants to do,"

"What** she** wants to do with my body?" Bo weakly pushed herself up eyes dancing between her doctor and Kenzi. "What did I bust a kidney? Have some mystical Fae STD? What?"

"I'm sorry ma'am but Kenzi is correct until I am able to reach the Queen I cannot tell you," forcing an apologetic smile he nodded more toward Kenzi then Bo before excusing himself.

"Well glad to see they respect you more than me," her voice broke panic setting in for so many reasons. "Kenzi I know you don't like me very much right now but-I'm scared. What is wrong with me? You have to make him tell me or force Lauren to come down here,"

"Lauren is unreachable right now I don't know why and while I do hold some weight not enough to overrule this,"

"Do you know? Do you know what is wrong?"

"Yes but—"

"Kenz please," she pleaded unable to contain her growing fear.

**Lauren's Loft 4 Hours Later**

Lauren sat on the couch in a rarity of light gray sweats and a white tee shirt, hair messily pulled back into a lose ponytail. A bottle of wine sitting on the table with a half empty glass in hand. She just continued to look at the bottle as if it held an answer to the world's most important question. That was until the ding of the elevator grabbed her attention.

"Bo," she didn't need to look up to know who it was. It took a fingerprint to gain access to the loft and she had control over who's were accepted. When she had arrived this evening feeling desperate to be alone she had shut it off to everyone but those who lived there and she had just never gotten around to removing Bo from the list.

"La-Lauren about-"

"Bo I'm just really, really not in the mood to fight right now." Taking a drink she sniffled closing her eyes and turning further away from her wife's line of sight. "Just grab a glass and have a drink with me,"

"I can't,"

"Bo please just let's not fight tonight I am begging you. I already had a massive one with Skylar where I couldn't even fight back. Heard some pretty horrible things about myself but then again they were all true so-" she took a drink shrugging. "And I can't take another bashing, not from you. You were right this afternoon I am a horrible, evil person and everything else you said. You're right okay? But please let's just pretend to be normal tonight. Please just come sit with me and make small talk and have a drink so I don't feel like such an alcoholic," she forced at chuckle at her pathetic attempt to lighten the mood.

"I can't,"

"Why?" she sniffled again turning to face the succubus who's eyes were red and swollen, an unusual subdued look to her. "Why can't you have a drink with your wife?"

"Lauren-I'm pregnant,"


	24. With Or Without

**Chapter Twenty-Three: With Or Without**

"Lauren I said I'm pregnant,"

"I heard you,"

"Okay would you like to say something?"

"Okay. Whose is it?"

"Wh-whose is it?" Bo stared at her wife in utter disbelief. She had sunk to a whole new low today and up until this moment she had thought she hit rock bottom-she was wrong. "Did you really just ask me whose it is?"

"Well it isn't mine," Lauren let out flatly still refusing to look up from the bottle.

"I'm sorry I thought I was married to a grown woman not a sixteen year old boy,"

'_Hm this has definitely got to be rock bottom' B_o thought to herself watching her wife's stone features or at least what she could see of them. She had spent the past few hours crying uncontrollably until she hadn't even remembered why she was crying. She had left the city walls to visit a human doctor just to get confirmation for the first time in her life not trusting Kenzi's words. She had been embarrassed, humiliated, hurt, heartbroken and still none of it hurt as much as her wife's statement. Or more accurately the conviction behind the words.

"I am exactly three weeks, and four days pregnant Lauren,"

"It's not mine," Lauren repeated finishing off what was left in her glass.

"First off **they are,**" she took three steps to her left to get a better view of her wife but still didn't have the courage to come any closer. "It's amazing the strides medicine has made isn't it? I remember when girls had to pee on sticks and even then the results weren't always right. Now, well now they can tell me down to the exact day, how many I'm having, the likely hood of a C-Section,"

"It's not mine," repeating once again making sure to keep her face tilted away from Bo.

"Stop! Stop saying that," her voice broke, chest contracting as her hands began to shake. She was sure if she hadn't become dehydrated she would have already broken into tears.

"Accidents don't happen to us-we're women,"

"That didn't matter the last two we had,"

"We were trying with them. There was mechanics involved and-we can't have accidents,"

"Then how am I pregnant?"

"I don't know," she leaned forward placing her glass down before standing up yet still keeping her back to her wife. "If we could have accidents then there should be some sort of contraception, you should have thought of,"

"Sure Lauren let me run to the drug store and ask for what? Extra strength, chi straining-I can't even make a smartass comment for it because what would it be? I'm not even completely sure how this worked the first two times,"

"It's a combination of willingness, synchronizations, hormone levels and adequate chi exchange—"

"Are you really standing there sciencing me up right now? I tell you I'm pregnant and all you do is babble that it ain't yours but ask a science question and I get a ten page explanation?"

"What do you want me to say?!" Lauren spun around her shin hitting the edge of the table. Cheeks glistening in the light as already fallen tears had begun to dry. "What do you want me to say," she repeated again this time her voice a whisper the softness from this morning still very much present.

"I—I don't know but something other than it isn't yours,"

"This has to be a mistake. Let me get my coat and we'll go to the hospital again and—"

"Doctor Shaw didn't strike me as someone who didn't know what he was doing. Annoying but still seemed to know his way around. And then there was the human doctor I went to that had the same exact info,"

"Well a third opinion won't hurt,"

"Why are you so-agh!" she groaned out running her hand through her hair letting her body rest against the wall suddenly feeling the drain of the day.

"You can't be pregnant Bo,"

"Why? Because it was an accident? Because it wasn't on your terms? Because you don't want it to be true?"

"Because we don't deserve it, I don't deserve it! We were horrible parents the first time and we were a happy couple then. Now? We go from moment to moment not knowing how the other one feels. We haven't been together in ten years. Jesus Bo I was just sitting here musing over my breakup with Skylar and this afternoon you were calling me the devil,"

"So it's because of Skylar then,"

"No,"

"It's because I yelled at you,"

"No,"

"Then what dammit?!"

"I just told you!" her voice raising for the first time today. "How can we bring this child into the world when we don't even know where we stand? When you don't even know what you are-when I don't know who I am? These were questions we had the answers to when we had Sean and Danni. We were in love and married and living together and wanted the rest of our lives to be together. Every day wasn't a fight or a struggle. We knew what we were and how to be those people. But yet look how it turned out, Bo if we were normal people Child Services would have had half a mind to take them from us. And now we're supposed to bring a child into the world without a single answer to any of those questions?"

"Two," was as she could force out her features twisting in pain as she tried to hold back her tears.

"What?"

"Twins Lauren if you were paying attention then you would have heard me say it the first time,"

"T-twins?" her left eyebrow raised, head tilting in true Lauren fashion as she tried to ignore the pain in her chest. "What do you want me to say-what do you want me to do Bo?"

"I want you to be my wife! I want you to be who you are trying so hard to run from! You think this is easy for me?! You think I don't have the same fears as you do?! I'm terrified Lauren, I've spent my entire day crying and alone. You think I magically have these answers? If I did we would be okay, I would be okay. You were always the calm and collected and rational and logical one in this relationship. You always knew what to do down to a fault not me,"

Lauren slowly made her way to her wife approaching her as one would a wild animal. There was so much fear within herself, so much pain but for the first time in a long time it wasn't just about her. Bo leaned against the wall for support, tears streaming down her cheeks a weakness Lauren hadn't seen in decades. Nothing had changed from this morning she still didn't know how to be a wife. She still didn't remember how to be with Bo. All of which made her really unsure what exactly she was doing but she went with it.

"Twins?" she let out more as an confirmation then a question looking into the succubus' glassy eyes as she reached her hand out stopping just above her wife's stomach. "Twins," a strange hopefulness intertwined within her voice as her trembling hand rested atop Bo's stomach. All the succubus could do was weakly smile, trying to stop the tears. After several moments of staring down at her hand that now had Bo's resting over it she looked up, lips parting starting to speak. "I—I don't remember how to be wife,"

"Love me,"

"I do,"

"then you're half way there," she smiled gently unsure of exactly what to do next.

* * *

**Outside Compound **

"Sneaking away in the cover of the night-picture of star crossed lovers," Sean and Mila turned around at the sound of taunting Skylar's voice. "Dare I say 2047's generation of Romeo and Juliet," she glided toward them out of the cover of darkness.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting," he let out taking a step in front of his finance.

"Spent most of the last month in bed relaxing thanks to your sister," smirking her eyes narrowed as she evaluated the lovers. "Running away?"

"I need to get her out of here,"

"Psst. They ain't gonna let you outta here kiddo. They'll put a bullet in her head before that happens,"

"I just need to get her to a human hospital-somewhere that will actually give a shit. I'm not running away,"

"I may have been out of the loop a bit lately but I'm pretty sure after the little demon brat's rampage human relations are worse then ever which again would mean you aren't allowed to leave without permission," she took another step closer, a cautiousness to her careful not to trip Sean's protective instincts. "Something tells me the mother of the year hasn't given it to you,"

"Just walk away pretend you didn't see us. No harm, no foul,"

"Lemme take her,"

"Excuse me,"

"You can blab all you want but once you get near the wall you're gonna run into guards and they're job is to keep you safe-who am I kidding?" she paused a disgusted snort escaping. "They're job is to follow your mother's orders—I know because I am—was the one to enforce them,"

"I can handle them,"

"Really? You ready to kill a couple dozen people just to get her to the doctor? Are you," she tilted her head to right getting better view of Mila. "ready to let these people die?" looking back up to their male company. "Are you ready to risk her life?"

"She needs better care,"

"Let me take her Sean," sensing his hesitation as he looked her over she couldn't help the twinge of anger pull at her. "I'm on pain killers Kiddo not drugs I think I can handle talking the princess here to the hospital,"

"I don't know," his jaw clenched turning to the tiny human who despite the look of hesitance on her face nodded in agreement. "Babe are you sure i-"

"Jesus Christ! I'm taking her to the fuckin' hospital she isn't going off to die,"

"Chill," he growled a new base to his voice before turning back to his lover. "I'll be there first thing in the morning okay?" nod. "And make sure you let them know everything these doctors have done already," nod. "You have your phone so you can text if you need me, or if you're bored or anything," another nod.

"I repeat hospital not death,"

"I love you," he whispered, leaning down kissing her lips softly altogether ignoring Skylar. "I love you," he let out again even softer as he watched the love of his life being ushered off by this woman he only really knew as his mother's girlfriend.

His sense of doubt continued to remain a factor but then again everything the woman had said was true. The guards had pulled their weapons several time on his mom who was the Queen's wife, so if it came now to following the Queen's orders or putting down some human it wouldn't take a second before the choice was made. And while he may have been a killer in his dreams, while he would do what he had to, to protect his family he was not ready to put himself in a situation to have to kill when other options were available.

Shoving his hands in his pockets the women now out of sight he turned back around starting to head home. A weird feeling coming over him when he thought of sleeping in his own bed rather then Mila's hospital bed or the chair that was only comfortable for so long.

* * *

**Lauren's Loft**

"Did you want some tea?" Lauren asked from the kitchen standing in front of an open fridge back to her wife who had migrated to the edge of the couch.

"Tea?"

"Yes tea Bo, you can't have caffeine thus ruling out coffee and various other soft drinks nor can you have alcohol so that leaves tea-select teas. Interesting fact that more often then not teas contain caffeine and high amounts of sugar,"

"Playing it a little fast and lose with the term interesting aren't ya?"

"I could let you die of dehydration if you'd like?"

"You say the sweetest things," this comment was enough to make the blonde turn around and glare, something that made the succubus smirk. A faint reminder of times long passed. "Tea is fine,"

"No you're getting water,"

"But I want the tea,"

"And I said you're getting water,"

"You don't actually have tea do you?" Bo's arms folded across her chest as she watched her wife shuffling through the cabinet. "Then why'd you offer it?"

"Well the obvious answer to that Bo would be the fact that I didn't know that I didn't possess any until after I had offered it," Lauren replied through a tightened jaw, handing her wife the glass of water.

"Has anyone ever told you that you need to lighten up,"

"No most people find me rather relaxed and humorous," she said flatly taking a seat in the middle of the couch leaving enough space between them to not be on top of the succubus but close enough so that it didn't seem as though she was avoiding her.

"Really?" she choked on her sip of water looking at her wife who remained as serious as ever. "these people you speak of, are they all on your payroll?"

"I didn't realize you had become a comedian while you were away,"

"I hadn't," taking another sip she forced on a smile. "But had I, I would seriously be thinking about quitting right now." taking another drink, a chuckle of nervousness escaping as Lauren continued to just stare at her. "I was implying you were a tough crowd,"

"No, no I get it,"

"Wow." she just nodded to herself letting her eyes drift down to her glass she was now holding in her lap. "Awkwardness in a whole new level,"

"On." the succubus looked up. "It's awkwardness **on** a whole new level,"

"I'm trying to make small talk Lauren not write a college essay,"

"I don't make small talk or have conversations really unless they're about work,"

"Wow you and Skylar's dirty talk must have been the boringest,"

"Boringest isn't a word," the blonde snared, her body tensing.

"Too soon for Skylar jokes?" she nodded once again to herself, hands starting to sweat as her nervousness grew with every second the awkwardness did. "You know I sensed it was,"

"Bo I'm not mad,"

"Hm?"

"I can tell you're really nervous-"

"Me? Nervous? Psst!"

"You're heart rate went from eighty-eight beats per minute to a hundred and—four. In the past five minutes your sweat output had increased by ten percent. You-"

"Okay, okay I'm nervous. You got me. Geez," this time it was her body tensing as she leaned forward placing her glass down. "Keeping secrets from you must be impossible,"

"It can be,"

"I'm starting to think the only way you can have a relaxed conversation is after I make you cum," she looked up just in time to see the slight embarrassment wave over Lauren's features. "It was a joke-sorta,"

"Bo I don't know how to do this I'm sorry. I don't know how to sit here and be okay with you—with the news that you just dropped on me. I don't know how to have small talk and flirt and have conversations that aren't about work or devastators or problems or some combination of the three. I don't know how to act with you. I don't even know how to be myself at the moment because I don't know what myself is at this moment,"

"Okay,"

"I'm not mad Bo I just-i Just don't know how to be,"

"I want to keep them," Bo spoke up after several minutes being the first to break the silence they had slipped into.

"What?"

"The babies. You were a thousand percent right and I share every single doubt you do if not more. This isn't a ploy to get you back or force us back together. And this afternoon when I found out I was terrified and I won't lie I had the idea slip through my mind to-but I can't do that and honestly I don't want to. I want to have them, to keep them with or without you,"

"With or without?"

"Yes," the succubus looked up turning herself so she was facing Lauren. "With or without your support or your help I want these babies,"

"Okay,"

"Wh-what do you want?" the fear of her wife's answer evident in her voice.

"What do I want?" she repeated the question, her features twisting into a portrait of pain that neither was expecting or ready for. "I—i want my family,"


	25. The Start Of An Old War

**Chapter Twenty-Four: The Start Of An Old War**

Sitting in the corner, the shelter of the darkness giving her a sense of comfort that the soft, material of the chair failed to do. Eyes watching the golden liquid swirl around as she titled the glass back and forth until the annoyingly expected vibration of her phone took precedence. Attention shifting to the recently lit screen of the phone in her other hand.

Kenz: Lauren we may have an issue. I'm trying to handle but you should get up (7:30 a.m.)

Kenz: Yeah we DO have a problem that I can't handle (7:45 a.m.)

Kenz: Lauren get your boney ass up! Sanctum A.S.A.P. (7:52 a.m.)

A quick tap of her finger and the light was gone; leaning back into the chair she finished off the warm liquid in her glass with a single gulp. Her eyes shifting up to the bed, even in complete darkness she could find this woman. Shoving the phone in her pocket and setting the glass on the floor she stood to leave but there was something stopping her. Her eyes shifted from the door back to the shape laying still that was her wife. Sighing she once again went against her nature and walked over to the sleeping beauty.

The exquisiteness of the woman's flawless features continued to draw her in like a bee to honey. There was something so intoxicating, so mesmerizing about this woman that kept a hold over her. There had been since they day the met and it hadn't faltered once.

Sitting on the sliver of space between her wife's body and the edge of the mattress she allowed herself to just take a moment letting the awaiting world pause while she watched her wife sleep. The succubus had always looked just as beautiful in slumber as she had in wake but this morning she had a glow to her. Lauren knew it was insane she hadn't even been pregnant a full month, far to early for her to acquire that 'pregnant glow' everyone spoke about. Even though she knew this she couldn't help but admit there was something different, something near enchanting. A glow, an innocence, a sense of peace and happiness all radiating off of her in tidal waves.

With hushed reverence, her slender fingers reached out and lovingly ran though dark locks earning a soft, whimper.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered continuing to gently play in her wife's hair.

She couldn't help but wonder if it was the woman's beauty that kept the hold on her. Maybe it was the beyond mind blowing sex that kept her coming back time and time again. Maybe it was just that she enjoyed the pain. Maybe it was all three.

Or was it the sweet memories of their first life mixing with the ones they were creating now, the ones that were creating hope of a real feature?

She didn't know, she didn't know if she ever would. The easy answer of what kept her tied to this woman was love but the answer wasn't enough. What answer would be enough? She didn't know that either. Love at it's core was anything but simple, everyone in the world had a different definition. Everyone in the world had their own meaning, their own limits to it. Love could make you say one thing and do another. It could make you break every rule and think it was worth it. Love in reality was anything but simple yet it still wasn't a good enough answer for her.

Another soft whimper escaping the succubus brought a small, sorrowful smile to her lips. Everything with them was like a double edged sward. Every blessing had it's underlining pain while every curse that plagued them had it's pleasure.

Looking at the innocence in her wife's features it floated her mind to their first meeting. Bo sitting completely exposed on the table unlike anything she had ever seen before. Strong, powerful, sexual, aggressive yet untainted by the world. An innocence, a sweetness mixed with a wide eyed hopefulness to her. She had been like a new born puppy begging for love with a pure heart.

Her smile turned to a frown thinking of how far they had come, how much of that Bo had lost along the way. That woman was from another time, another place and sadly she wasn't that woman any more.

The woman that laid under her touch still had a good heart, still was sweet and hopeful but there was a dimness to it. Some time through the years she had been tainted. Lauren tried to remember when exactly she saw that glow in her wife die. Pin point the exact time when her wife had lost her innocence but she couldn't. Maybe it had just happened gradually or maybe she just hadn't been paying close enough attention.

Maybe it had started to die out the moment they met.

Another sound broke her from her thoughts but this time instead of a soft, whimper. This was a sound with resemblance of a moan as her body shifted, legs moving up the bed until they hit Lauren's back. Another sleep coated moan came in the form of her name causing a subdued source of pleasure to hum through her body. So easily her response to everything Bo was lust but there was also always something more.

Determined to banish any creeping sadness she allowed a prideful smile to cover her lips taking pleasure in knowing that even in sleep she was the one Bo thought of. She didn't need to be told but she knew she was the only one Bo ever let touch her like this. She was the only one Bo would ever lay with and have the complete trust to sleep.

The other men, the other women Bo had fucked them and played with them—got what she needed from them but she never allowed this level of intimacy. A fact that gave her pride, gave her accomplishment but most of all gave her a comfort.

The fact that Bo had let them touch her, fuck her among so many other things she was sure of had bothered her as it would any lover, any mate. It sparked a possessiveness in her that went beyond normal that dug into her roots as an ascended succubus. Yet it didn't cut as deep as one would expect. She knew as a doctor Bo had to feed to live. She knew as a succubus that Bo had to feed to survive, to feed a hunger. She knew as a woman that ten years was a long time to go without physical contact and the comfort it brought even if it was fake.

No it wasn't the acts that cut deep it was the doubt that Bo had given herself to someone else the way she had given herself to her. Had she given trust, love, affection, and everything else that came past sex?

That was what had cut her the deepest and until this moment watching her wife sleep those doubts had weighted on her, crushing her with every breath even if she hadn't admitted it to herself. But for some unknown reason Lauren believed, knew without a doubt that she was the only one Bo had given that part of herself to.

Feeling a sudden weight lighten she chanced it leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on the succubus' temple.

_'Is she really still mine?' _she thought letting her lips linger longer then intended. The question kept repeating itself as the familiar layers of guilt and faithlessness came back to overwhelm her. With a shake of her head, she willed the tears away.

_'Can I still be hers...am I already?' _the heavyhearted thought didn't have time to do damage as she felt the annoyingly familiar vibration against her stomach.

"I love you," she whispered running the back of her hand lightly against the woman's cheek as she slid off the bed unable to escape the reality of her world any longer.

**Outside of Sanctum **

"Maybe we should send guards,"

"We don't need guards you big oaf," Kenzi glared up at the man phone in hand. "She most likely spent the entire night arguing with Bo and is now over sleeping or still in the middle of make-up sex,"

"Text her again,"

"Dude I've sent five billion text with no replies,"

"What is the issue?" the sound of Lauren's voice followed the sound of her heels on the floor.

"They are-"

"They are calling for your head," Ty cut the smaller woman off his lack of patience desiring to be known.

"Let them call for it. Let them howl like a wolf in the night at the moon," she took a deep breath fixing her face into it's statuesque familiarity. "But remember the wolf never obtains it's desire,"

"What?" Ty's brow tensed looking down at Kenzi who just shrugged until they had realized Lauren had already made her entrance.

"So glad to see you've waited for me yet again," she looked over the arguing bunch a twinge of curiosity peeked considering each of the human leaders were all standing and engaged in a verbal battle. This being a rarity that all of them would be partaking.

"So glad you decided to take a moment from your busy life to attend," President Montgomery dropped her sentience mid-insult to Canada's Prime Minster to acknowledge her.

"Would you like to inform me what the issue is or am I here just as a spectator,"

"We demand you step down effectively or else,"

"Or else?" she snorted at the President's seeming threat.

"Lauren we demand you step down and have someone preferably not from your current staff take your place or else,"

"I'm hearing this **or else** a lot but I've yet to hear what comes after it,"

"**Or else **humanity will cut all ties with the Fae,"

"You don't have the authority," Lauren's eyes shifted from the woman who was quickly becoming her arch nemesis to the other humans filling the room. "You must be kidding me,"

"We believe that in light of recent events that it would be better for both sides if you were to pass the responsibilities on," China's President spoke as he took a seat.

"Recent events?"

"Your daughter slaughtered four-hundred and six people, Fae and human indiscriminately while you covered for her," Connor spoke emerging from the shadows the way he always seemed to do.

"I wasn't covering but containing,"

"You lied to us," Russia's President spoke.

"You didn't need to know,"

"Because she was your daughter?" Connor cut in.

"I contained the issue the best we could far better then some incidents in your countries. And lets remember I am the one who killed her,"

"Where's the body? It's been three weeks and still no body," America's President leaned against the desk folding her arms over her chest with a grin.

"You want to complain about how the issue was handled the write a report and e-mail it, I have other things to deal with then this,"

"The pregnancy of your wife? Tell me Lauren after how well the first two turned out do you really think you should be continuing to procreate?"

"The same could be said for you Mrs. President," Lauren clenched her jaw, the sound of teeth grinding filling her ears.

"Four-hundred and six innocent-"

"Three-hundred and two were all that could be definitively tied to my daughter. I let the rest of the body toll of that week fall on her to keep the already fragile peace in existence-an idea which you couldn't stop endorsing at the time,"

"Three-hundred and two is still a rather large number Lauren," Connor slaked up leaning on the desk next to his boss. "Or is that number okay since most were disabled Fae and humans? Isn't it true that you had absolutely no luck locating her until she took your girlfriend-who is now your ex because while you were supposed to be catching your killer spawn you were busy impregnating your wife, "

"I owe **you** no explanation,"

"If you don't step down you will sever ties between our communities,"

"Even if she could step down-if she did humanity would fall," Ty spoke the base in his voice causing a echo through the room.

"Is that a threat?" Russia's President stood ready for a fight.

"It is a promise," Kenzi spoke never more ashamed of the human race then this moment. "You sever this alliance and life as you know it will drastically change,"

"I have ended wars, shown support for each of you when needed. Africa, Canada, Australia, South America I am the reason you are in office and now you turn your back on me? You question my abilities over this one incident in which was controlled within a week and was the scape goat for vigilante death tolls on both sides which has served to keep the peace? Yet in Africa and South America there continues to be cannibalism, starvation, torture, human rights violations-shall I go on? China you have the largest human rights violations then Germany, Japan and England combined. England your parliament has had to be replaced six times in two years due to corruption. Yet me? We continue to have the lowest murder rates, no counts of cannibalism or starvation. We've helped everyone who has asked for it,"

"And with that taken into account we have decided a middle ground. Produce a body and allow for all Fae to become documented and we will retract our request," President Montgomery offered standing up straight.

"I will not be bullied. I will not be threatened. Understand something that while I may smile, speak softly, let you threaten me and bark annoyingly until you're satisfied you are not above me. Fight amongst yourselves for the top position, for alpha status, have all the pissing competitions you want. Understand one thing though, that no matter what room I walk into—no matter who is in that room I am and will always be alpha,"

"Is that so?" Connor challenged eyes locking with Lauren's.

"Yes," her brow raised. "For those of you without half a brain that means I cannot, will not be backed into a corner. I do not bow down to threats and persistent barking that masks a pitiful bite,"

"When we walk out of those doors Lauren it will be to late, we will not reverse the decisions," England's Prime Minister spoke.

"I'll save you the trouble," she turned walking the small distance to the doors. "Get them out of my city," she ordered Ty before walking out leaving most of the room stunned with the exception of Connor who had a strange mixture of pride and amusement written over his face.

"Lauren? Lauren!" Kenzi called after the woman jogging to keep up with her.

"You need to issue an order get every human of ours back within the city walls,"

"Lauren what are you doing?"

"You think they would have backed down?"

"No,"

"Then you think I should have stepped down?" Lauren pulled to an abrupt stop.

"No of course not,"

"Then what? What's done is done, they've started a war they don't understand the repercussions too. We have a duty to our people human and Fae alike. Get everyone working as quickly as possible. Every state, every county that our humans need to be taken within our cities. Every Fae needs to do the same. Violence is not permitted unless completely necessary,"

"Cities are going to lose half of their work force, there's gonna be riots and-"

"This is what they want. I cannot step down without forfeiting my life Kenzi. They also demand that my successor be someone not in the line of succession so that would mean forfeiting Sean, Bo, the twins, Ty, and your lives. They want to sever ties with me, with us? Then congratulations they have it, now let them deal with the consequences. Let them see how far my reign spreads,"

**Lauren's Loft 2 Hours Later**

"**The unexplainable erupt of violence continues to grow through out the Country. There is no clear way to tell these two battling sides apart with the exception of the words they are cheering throughout the streets. Many are shouting Vivat Regina while others reply, Regina Mortem. One meaning long live the Queen while the other means death to the Queen. Perhaps the only question more curious then what has set off this burst of violence is, who is this Queen?"**

"What's happened," the sound of Bo's sleep coated voice broke Lauren's attention away from CNN. Reacting on instinct she hit the mute button on the remote she had been clenching to for the past hour.

"Feeling better?"

"Still tired but better," Bo let out through a yawn as she continued into the living-room. "What's happened?" asking again as she came up behind the couch, eyes glued to the television screen trying to read the subtitles.

"This morning the President of the United States called for my head while the rest of the spineless bastards just sat there. And of course the sniffling, scum of the earth Connor was there too just to add the finishing touches,"

"What do you mean they called for your head?"

"They wanted me to step down and have someone outside of the current line of succession to take my place,"

"Do they know the only way for you to step down is death?"

"Hence my over dramatics that aren't so over dramatic when I say, they want my head,"

"Who are they claiming should take your place?"

"Hell if I know. Not my line of succession so not Sean or you or Ty or Kenzi. They want someone completely different, little do they know it will at that point no longer be a Queen or King in charge but several councils of Elders who are all older then dirt and views on humans is that they should be forced in camps to work while the older and feeble are killed off," she ran her hand through her hair looking up watching her wife's face as she continued to be fascinated with the news.

"What brought this on?"

"It's been brewing for over a year now, that bitch has been searching for something to use just waiting in the wings for her timing and now after Danielle she got it. She's hoping this dethroning of myself will give her the leverage to earn yet another term,"

"Thought this was her second one already?" Bo turned away from the news looking down at her tired wife.

"Yep. She is hoping she can ride me all the way to another one, breaking the rules because people will be so please that she got rid of the horrible dictator that is me,"

"Well they can't do that," she soothed the blonde as she poured a glass of bourbon. Turning around to find her wife near snarling. "Relax it's for you,"

"why?" she took the glass ripping it from the succubus' hand.

"Well it seemed as though you had a rough morning, my bad for caring," she turned away back to the screen refusing to show her hurt.

"I meant why are you so good to me after everything? Why can you stand there and defend me knowing what you know,"

"It would be a different story if it was your wifeing or mothering or humanity in question. Then yeah I might not rush to your defense," she forced herself to look down at Lauren. "But your skills as a Queen? No those are ones I would never doubt, you sacrificed everything including yourself to be a good Queen. Everyone wants to focus on the bad, the failures and they forget that the good you've done is far more. For every page of failures in your book I can list fifty pages of good things. As a wife and the mother of my children you may have failed. As a-person with humanity you may have failed. But as my Queen there you have never failed and I have never doubted your judgment. That is how I can stand here and defend you," she took a breath, tone softening. "The world was falling apart long before either of us were born, you just have the misfortune of trying to lead when it's reaching it's breaking point,"

"I can't remember a time when a complement hurt as much as that did," she said from behind the rim of her glass, the words barely leaving her mouth before she was filling the vacancy with the bitter liquid.

"What's happened?" they heard as the dig of the elevator cut into their stare down. "Mother what's happened?"

"Relax my love, it will be over soon. The President and her dog have decided to bite off more then they can chew is all,"

"I heard the order all accepted humans and Fae have been ordered within the walls?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded throwing her legs off the cushion and turning so she was completely facing her son. "Safety first,"

"I need to get out,"

"I don't think that's happening bud," Bo added unhappily taking a seat next to her wife once again the feeling of unimportance consuming her.

"You don't understand Mila is out there,"

"Why would she be out of the hospital, let alone the city walls?"

"The doctor stopped helping her, basically came out and said because she was human it didn't matter what happened to her,"

"So you took her to a human doctor?"

"No, I mean I was going to last night but I got convinced that me trying to leave wouldn't help anyone so I would wait till morning."

"Convinced by who?" Lauren put down her glass, brow tensing. "Sean who took her?"

"Skylar,"

"Have you heard from Mila since last night?" Lauren stood up trying not to sound anything but calm.

"No," he looked between his parents, worry seeping in. "Mother what is it?"

"Nothing, probably nothing. Stay here I'm going to go find her,"

"What? You can't go out there, let me-"

"Sean listen to me for once," she let out firm yet the concern intertwining itself within her voice made the words seem gentle. "You're staying too," she barked at Bo seeing the woman start to stand from the corner of her eyes. "Both of you are staying," she stepped into the elevator shooting her family a weak smile.

"Mom," he called out just like when he was a boy, the call coming just quick enough for her to be able to open the doors once more. "Please be careful and please bring her back,"

"I will,"

"We're getting married," he let out as the doors came to seal this time not quick enough for her to stop them. "We're supposed to be getting married," he repeated, glassy eyes looking up to find Bo's. His mother at some point in time having coming within arms length. "Mom," his voice cracked, her arms hesitantly reaching out for her boy. "Mom," he repeated softer letting himself crash into her embrace.


	26. Musings From The Broken

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Musings From The Broken**

"**Vivat Regina! Vivat Regina! Vivat Regina! Vivat Regina! Vivat Regina! Vivat Regina!"**

"**Regina Mortem! Regina Mortem! Regina Mortem! Regina Mortem! Regina Mortem!"**

Those were the repeated cries that made their way past six inch bulletproof glass to fill her ears. Her eyes fluttering over the crumbling remains of a society that she had not long ago cherished. With every bottle thrown, every window broken, every blow given she felt the world around her falling. She looked out into the sea of people and all she could see was a world of scared, angry people with burdened by shattered love and dwindling hope. Pain, hatred, fear all just lying under the surface yet no one seemed to care enough to take a hard enough look.

'_I don't care,'_ she thought to herself over and over again until she was sick of the words. She repeated them until she had begun to believe them. Tell yourself the same lie enough, tell it to others enough and eventually you begin to believe it even if it was a lie you yourself created.

A rare flaw in human nature that affected more than just the human race, something like the basic need for love. At least that was what she supposed.

She had no illusions about herself at least when it came the numb, iciness that she had let consume her a little more each year. Deep within her soul she knew what the rest of the world had long forgotten, it was herself shielding herself. As a human doctor she had thrown herself in logic and cold science whenever she needed to hide—though Bo broke through those walls. And then when she became Fae she just found it come as a second nature to let certain things numb to her. And finally when she ascended she was given the greatest blessing and yet the greatest curse—the ability to shut emotions off altogether. The ability to slip into nothingness.

Nothingness was like a drug to her. It would taunt her with its calming tranquility before slipping away leaving her drowning in a violent ocean of emotions. It would subtly seduce her with the shiny promises of peace and a painless existence yet the moment she would submit it would leave her far more broken then before.

She had learned to love the nothingness as much as she had hated it.

Out of the orchestra of screams a woman's terrified solo grasped her attention. Turning to look out of her passengers side window her eyes sought the source. A simple young woman who was pretty yet not beautiful. She was small but not tiny and proper yet not preppy. She was just a simple girl with nothing extraordinarily special about her at first glance yet here she was caught in the middle of something that was indescribable. She clutched her backpack as of group of young men threw her to the ground shouting at the top of their lungs.

The sad irony of it was she was a human just as the young men were.

'_I can't care,'_ she thought looking away.

And as it had been the past two days her defenses began to waver as the numbness dulled allowing nothingness to become something. It's sudden vacancy allowing an indiscriminate and crushing anguish to cascade over her. Allowing it to seep past her flesh down into her bones, until finally settling in for the long haul within her heart and soul.

"My Queen," she looked over to Denzel her mind still a million miles away. "I still think you should have sent in a team or at least let me go in,"

"I will be fine,"

"My Queen all it will take is one person to recognize you,"

"Zel," she said softly letting her hand fall over his forearm. "Trust that I know what I am doing as I trust that if I need you, you will be there before anything happens,"

"Yes ma'am," his tone matching his pout.

"See you soon," her political assurance smile turned into a real grin as she slid out of the seat. Denzel had insisted they take the fully equipped for war Hummer if they were to go out past the city walls. Which in reality was probably a smart idea the only problem was she hated the car. She hated how big it was, how it looked, the interior and most of all how she as Queen couldn't jump out of a car so she would normally need assistance.

But perhaps the silliest thing she hated was the fact that it made her feel like a rap star. She couldn't really explain why but every single time she road in one she felt like she should have some overly sexual song with the base turned up to ten playing. And every time she had the door opened she expected dozens of cameras to be going off as people screamed her name. One time on a six hour drive she had contemplated all the rap names she could give herself.

Chuckling to herself as she walked to the elevator wondering what people would think if they really knew half of the things she thought about. Wondered if people would be so scared of her if they knew she counted in penguins rather than Mississippis or tugboats. If they knew she had come up with several rap names for herself and half of a rap song about the periodic table. If they knew she sung to herself and danced in the shower. If they had known all the goofy things she had done would they still value her as highly, would they still fear her?

Leaning against the corner of the elevator she stared at the backs of two doctors listening to their conversation about some surgery completely oblivious to who she was. A conflicting emotion of gratefulness and prideful irritation mixing. On one hand she wanted this to go quickly and smoothly which meant getting in and out being unnoticed. On the other hand her pride poked at her saying she was Queen, how dare they not recognize her.

'_God I'm full of myself,' _she thought with a mental smile after she had repeated the 'how dare they not recognize me' again only this time in a deep voice, mimicking the Wizard of Oz. Smile fading she let her head rest against the wall, eyes looking up at the highlighting numbers.

Her emotions like life were never easy nor simple.

Slipping past the two men she walked out into the hall eyes shooting up near the ceiling searching the various tabs sticking out of the wall looking for the one that read 403. Glancing around noticing everyone was too wrapped up in their own stuff she made an elegant dash for the room. Coming to the door way she stood frozen.

She had found her young favored assistant, the woman who her son was apparently marrying. She laid there sleeping soundly just as she had expected but what wasn't expected or at least not completely was Skylar standing over her. The woman stood there hands gripping the railing as she stared down at the picture of innocence that was the human.

Taking a breath she realized Skylar had yet to become aware of her presence. Eyes danced over the woman with a pain behind them and a weight on her heart. She had never meant to hurt her, Skylar was a great girlfriend, a great woman. Beyond the rough edges she was one of the best people you could ever meet. This woman had managed to find humanity in her when she herself thought all was gone. She had never meant to hurt her, never meant to fall back into a complication with her wife. She honestly before finding out Bo was pregnant wasn't even sure who she'd pick.

But life had a funny way of putting you on the right path.

She wasn't in love with Skylar and she knew she never would be but she did love the woman in a way. It was a dark and complicated love yet it was a simple love. It was straight forward. Skylar could never drive her to the edge of insanity and keep her there begging for more. Could never make her lose herself ten times over only to be reborn again. Could never make her feel like an angel while being the vilest of creatures to walk this earth. She could never do these things yet she was special in her own right. The love for her was special in its own right.

'_Love,' _mentally she scoffed to herself at the thought.

People always went on and on about how incredibly wonderful it is and how great it makes you feel like a bunch of wide eyed school girls. She had used to be one of them wishing to she'd fall in love and have some wild adventure. She used to be a secret romantic with the notion that love overcame all. And then she had come to her senses. She didn't know what the hell she was talking about and neither did they. It's hard and painful and confusing. To know true, deep, passionate love you would have to become well acquainted with heartache.

She had believed like most of the population that once you found that one, '**the one' **that is was over and done with. That once you found them you were set for life and everything after was all rainbows and unicorns. That the fights wouldn't be painful anymore they would just be the prelude to amazing makeup sex. That walking out the door would never be for good. That hurt feelings wouldn't last more than a couple minutes. That a kiss along with an apology would make everything alright again. She had so much wanted to believe that.

Sadly it doesn't work that way.

She had known Bo was the 'one' from the moment she set eyes on her. It was like a moment straight from a eighties romance film, the world had stopped as their eyes met. It was stupid, unexplainable but she knew Bo was the one even if it took her awhile to admit it aloud. She knew from the first kiss that she would belong to this woman forever. She knew she would love Bo forever and after all that was the whole point of the 'one', forever. The first time she broke the Ash's orders she knew she'd do anything for her no matter the coast.

There was so many times her illusion of love had been shattered yet it never stayed broken for long. That was until Bo had walked out. Being in love, being the 'one' meant that was never supposed to happen yet just as unexpectedly as the succubus had popped into her life she had walked right out.

For weeks after the succubus had left she had sat in her room crying until she couldn't find the tears to continue. Sat there wallowing in self-pity and scaring pain. Until then she never realized how much her life had depended on Bo. No matter how much she had pushed the woman away or said she didn't need her it was never true. But she got what she had been pushing for; she had forced Bo to leave giving her, her space. It was only then when she truly realized just how much she needed her wife.

Not wanted but needed. Needed her. Needed to know that she loved her. Needed to know she would always be there.

It had taken weeks until Lauren had finally believed Bo wouldn't return. It had been weeks until she had come to the conclusion that her fairytales of love were just that—fairytales. Weeks until she had believed that her wife had stopped caring.

It wasn't until this very odd moment she knew **that** was the illusion.

Bo had left for her own reasons but she had also left because of her. Bo had thought it was what she truly wanted. Had thought it was what she needed to be okay. And as wrong and as flawed as the logic and actions that followed Bo had never stopped loving her.

That was the whole point of the 'one'. Together or apart, happy or sad, angry or not, sickness or heath-on and on, continuing to love that person through it all was the real point of having the 'one'.

Sadly it had taken her so long to realize she wasn't sure if she could ever repair the damage that had been done.

"Do you know what it's like to live in the shadow of a ghost? To realize what everybody already knew, that you would never be over her? Do you know what it's like to watch the woman you love sleeping in your arms and know the reason she's smiling isn't because she's dreaming of you? Do you know what it's like to hear the woman you love call out a ghosts name when you're making love?" Skylar spoke not looking up from Mila.

"Skylar,"

"Do you know what it's like to love someone and know you can have their body but never their heart? To know that no matter what you do you will never have their love?"

"Skylar please,"

"To see the woman you love in so much pain, so broken and to know that no matter what you do you will never be able to fix it. That you can only numb the pain and the only reason you can do that is because it's allowed? To know that this woman you love so much is only with you as a means to survive, a distraction from loneliness?"

"Stop,"

"Do you know what that's like Lauren?" she reached her hand out gently stoking Mila's hair as tears slipped down her cheeks. "Do you—"she looked up jaw tight, eyes narrowing. "Because I don't think you know that pain,"

"Skylar just don't—"

"Don't what? Have feelings?'

"I understand you're angry with me and you have every right but your anger is with me,"

"Don't give me your political bullshit Lauren, I know you," she snorted through a disgust filed chuckle. "Well that's a lie I don't know **you **but I know enough about you to know when I'm being B.S-ed,"

"Can we—"

"Jesus fuckin' Christ Lauren, I'm not going to do anything to the poor girl,"

"What,"

"You're over there terrified I'm going to ruin what's left of your son's love for you by killing his future wife. Do you really think that little of me?"

"No but I understand hurt and I understand it can sometimes make a perfectly good and rational person do some bad, irrational things."

"Yeah I know," she held her hands up taking a step back and then four to the left so she was at the edge of the bed. "I'm not here to hurt the girl I'm here because I needed to get away from you and your succu-hoe. I took the girl because I still stupidly believe in love and your son and this girl are the picture of love. May as well throw them on Hallmark cards for weddings and Valentine's day."

"So you didn't come to—"

"What act out some sick revenge? No, I'm not your daughter,"

"Well then," Lauren let out letting the comment slide, feeling stupider then she had in a while. "We need to get her and return, the humans have started something that I refused to back down from,"

"Oh the riots? Yeah I've seen the news,"

"Then you know we need to return,"

"Sure. Let's just wake the kid up," she turned to the bed to find Mila wide eyed staring between the two. "Or never mind,"

Lauren stood silently off to the side as she allowed Skylar to help the girl up and dress. Looking out into the hall she realized the hospital staff had all but disappeared. After five minutes of patiently waiting the trio made their way through the deserted halls, down the elevator and out into the madness.

Lauren's body stiffened when she felt the young girl grab her arm upon seeing the building devastation. It was surely a mistake, a reaction without thinking from a mind clouded by pain killers. Yet instead of jerking away the Queen gently ushered her into the backseat before sliding in herself.

"Lovely I get to ride with the job thief," Skylar gripped slamming the door, scowling at Denzel who returned it.

"Come here," Lauren whispered as the two bickered amongst themselves. Reaching her arm out toward Mila whose eyes could barely stay open. "It's okay," she assured as one would a small child. Hesitation radiated off her but the two bottles simultaneously hitting her window made the choice for her. "It's okay," she soothed as Mila rested her head in Lauren's lap, legs crunched up on the seat.

Letting the screams, the sounds of various things hitting the car and Denzel and Skylar's bickering drown out she looked down at the girl in her lap. She was such a sweet girl with a toughness. She in some ways reminded her of her own daughter—the good qualities anyway. Lauren had genuinely liked the girl though she hadn't pictured her son marrying her, marrying a human.

The irony to that statement made her smile. Once she was that girl, the human who everyone told Bo not to get involved with. And now here she was having the same closed minded thoughts for her son.

Her lover's heartbroken face suddenly appeared causing her to sigh. A weird, overpowering urge to tell Bo everything. To make a clean start the moment she got back. To pull the band-aid off the wound once and for all, to start the healing process.

'_What's happening to me,' _she thought realizing just how much emotion she had been showing. Realizing she had spent her entire day almost thinking about her feelings. She didn't do that anymore, she didn't talk about her feelings either. She could not afford to show weakness, especially not today, not ever.

However, she couldn't dismiss the twist of fear she felt at the thought of Bo finding out the true scale of her sins. While Bo never did more then feed from her conquests, share her body-Lauren could obviously make no such claim. That was the true sin of it all, the emotional bond and she had committed it and to Bo's arrogance not just with Skylar.

But Bo was the only one she truly loved, the only one she'd die for. The only one that meant anything real. And that should be enough.

_'Ha! Yeah right,' _she shook her head at herself. Irrationally, she wished he could undo what her hunger, her nature, her libido and pride had wrought.

The idea of using lies of omission came to the forefront of her mind. She could have this talk and start this new chapter as she wanted but she could leave out somethings right? She could leave out the things that would hurt the most. But that was just more lies to spin, more secrets to keep, more guilt to bare.

She felt a twinge of anger at Bo, at herself. She may have been a cold, heartless, unhappy, bitch before but her life was semi together. She had her ducks in a row with a life and relationships she could navigate. But then Bo strutted in just as she had done thirty-seven years ago and life was never the same.

The succubus had re-awoken something inside herself. Re-awoken something that allowed her to feel and not in a numb way but a complete way. If she had to look back and be honest she had started to feel, started to revert back to someone she recognized the minute she laid eyes on her wife again. Perhaps that was why she tried to force herself further into the nothingness.

It had worked for a time. It had been working just fine until it wasn't. And now she was a big bag of emotion she couldn't remember how to deal with.

She quickly found herself becoming a woman without shame, without pride or self-preservation. She felt the deep, near sick desire of this woman. She existed to be by her side and craved to live to be the reason for this woman's joy. In Bo's arms, she became something more than the abomination that most of the world saw, that she herself saw. The more Bo touched her, tasted her, moaned her name the more it made her feel as though she was worth the adoration. The more that Bo refused to walk away, the more she showed her love the more it awoke her own. The more Bo said she loved her, the more she wanted to know **their** love again. The more she felt the closer their previous life seemed to come. And the closer their previous life seemed to come the more it convinced her there could be a new future, a better future.

Finally reaching inside the city walls outside of her home she shook her future daughter-in-law awake and gave Skylar and Denzel the order to take her to Sean's apartment. Her mind stayed in it's self-debating state the entire journey to her loft.

"Hey," she smiled seeing Bo and Sean sitting on the couch actually having a real conversation.

"Are you okay? Is Mila?" he jumped up stretching his neck trying to see behind his mother.

"She is fine. I had Skylar and Mila escort her to your loft," she sighed kicking off her shoes and taking off her shirt till she was in her under tee. "Turns out Skylar is just a really good, hopeless romantic trying to get a few hours away from the soul sucking, heart eating, life ruin-er that is me,"

"What?"

"Don't worry about it my love," she smiled at her son. "Go ahead, go see your fiancee."

"Thank you mother," he said almost giddily, giving her a quick kiss on the head as he rushed past. "I'll see you later ma," he spoke leaning out from the elevator earning a toothy grin from Bo.

"Bonding?"

"Some," the succubus' smile grew. "Some, I think we took a step in the right direction,"

"Good. I think saving his future wife has set me and him on the right path as well,"

"I would say so," she chuckled taking a bite from her bowl of mac-and-cheese that she picked up from the table. "Sorry I got hungry and Sean insisted cooking, apparently this was all he knew how to make,"

"It's fine you need to eat, I'd prefer something healthier but beggars can't be choosers,"

"Except in the bedroom," Bo let out in between bites. "Just to let you know once I finish my food, there's gonna be a dance party in my pants and you're invited," this time it was a full laugh as her attention moved between her wife and the television.

"You're in a unusually giddy mood,"

"And you're in a really robotic mood," she chuckled out. "Really though it's kinda creepy you just standing there. Asking and answering questions in one voice tone, with short and direct responses." she focused in on her wife who refused to make a facial expression. "Sorry, sorry I just-you know Sean is engaged and we had some bonding. You and me aren't trying to rip each others throats out at the moment. I'm pregnant-my emotions are like kicked up to a bazillion. I don't know if it's the hormones or if it's like the half ascended Fae thing but I'm in a really good mood,"

"I have something to tell you,"

"What?" Bo looked up from setting her newly empty bowl down, her once goofy smile slowly fading. "Not looking to RSVP to my party, too short of notice?" she wiggled her eyebrows settling back into the couch. "Cause if I'ma be honest the party doesn't start till you arrive. I mean I guess it could but it would be kinda awkward,"

"I lied,"

"About what?"

"About-" Lauren took a deep breath watching the hope and happiness vanishing from her wife like a young child who's balloon had just been intentionally popped. "About-everything,"


	27. Sins Of The Lover

A.N. It's been a couple chapters so I wanted to take the moment to say thank you to everyone for reading, faving, following and of course reviews. I love how much so many of you are into the story means I'm doing my job.

After some confessions in this chapter I am ready for angry reviews and pms with no problem I would just like to not get any mail detailing how and why I will be going to hell for this story other than that, I'm ready. I was ready to write myself hate mail after this chap. Lol

A special thanks to Neytiri's Heart who helped me through a issue on this chap and occasionally serves as a surrogate creative helper and delivers swift kicks in the butt.

Thank you all,

**Rated Mild to Heavy M**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Sins Of The Lover**

"Skylar isn't a great woman and Mila isn't lying in Sean's bed?"

"Bo,"

"Lets not do this Lauren, come over here and lets watch T.V. and have some small talk and then hopefully I can get you into bed. I don't know maybe dinner at some point, a nice shower—shared or alone your choice."

"I love you. I mean I am in love with you and I don't think I've ever stopped being in love with you. You walked back into my life and flipped it upside down just as you did the first time, the only thing is this isn't **my** life-this is **our** life. And you're probably sitting there thinking what the hell, just a day ago she was screaming at me to leave. And yes I recognize this but something happened-I don't know what or why. Maybe it's just you and your super powers of breaking down my walls. Maybe it was just time for me to let go. Maybe it was seeing a pure, innocent love in Mila and Sean and it reminding me so much of what we had. Maybe it's all of it. But I know I love you and I want there to be an us. I want to try and be a wife again and a mother. I want us to try,"

"Please Lauren just leave it there. That's the most beautiful and amazing thing I've heard in years,"

"I can't-I want a real chance this time. No lies, no faking, no anything other than us. Don't you want that? A real us? A real shot?"

"Yes," she whispered. It was the truth she agreed with her wife for once that it had to be done. She wanted this future and this idea of a happy life that would supposedly come after these confessions. The only problem was that she knew the damage it would do as well.

"I—" Lauren found her words caught in her throat, a nervous chuckle escaping. "You know the funny thing is I could kill someone and so long as you thought I felt bad about it I know you'd stand there and defend my humanity, defend me and how I was right,"

"It's called comfort,"

"I know, I know it's just that right now I'd be more inclined to tell you I'm a serial killer rather then-rather than say aloud what I need to tell you. Because what I have to say isn't something you'll defend,"

"Lauren I'm all but begging you not to continue,"

"When I told you those shoes in my room were Sean's I lied. They were Ty's—me and Skylar occasionally had him join us. It wasn't a common occurrence or anything but it happened more then a couple of times. In fact it was Ty who I had started feeding off of first and I had led him on for quite awhile before deciding to make it official with Skylar." she took a pause letting her words sink in as she ran her hand through her hair. "I lied when I told you that it was just others telling me about what you were doing. I mean a lot of information I got happened that way but there had been several-four to be exact people I had sent to check up on you. You of course slept with all of them but yeah, I had sent them. And I myself had twice flown out to see you."

"What?"

"Once I had lost my nerve and the other I watched you with a man. Well not like watched the whole thing happen. It was really near to when you had left and I was on a roof and saw you though your window," she paused as she watched her wife's features twisted between anger, hurt, shock and a mild disturbance. "Yeah it wasn't my finest moment. And I only-it was only like for two or three minutes tops before I realized you were actually going to-um, to go down on him and then I kind of lost control and was about to go over there and probably kill him. Did I mention this was really soon after you had left?"

"Okay," the succubus bit her bottom lip, eyes narrowing as her mind tried to process what she had just been told. Taking several deep breaths she turned her attention back to her wife. "Okay well we—we-we can get past that. Not exactly what I wanted to hear and slightly disturbed by some of it. Oddly upset that you didn't Hulk out and jump through the window or something but that's my own thing to deal with. But yeah that isn't really that bad-we can get through that," she nodded over enthusiastically praying that was it but she didn't need to wait long to find out her answer. "That isn't it is it?"

"That makeup bag in the bathroom-it's Kenzi's,"

"I'm sorry?" she choked on her words.

"We lied-I lied about me and her,"

"I don't think you should keep speaking,"

"We were in a dark place and I wanted to hurt you but I didn't think I could anymore and she-she wanted to hurt you too and it just happened to both of our surprise,"

"For how long did it just happen?"

"You don't want an answer to that question,"

"No Lauren I know the answer I just wanna hear you say it,"

"Ten years," as the words left her mouth the entire room seemed to become void of air. A new shade of heartbreak over Bo's face as she stood.

"I also had a small relapse and I killed four people but-" she tried to continue her confessions only to be cut off.

"Lauren unless you're about to tell me the four people you killed were blind, disabled, mentally handicapped, school children I really don't give a shit about that," she ran both of her hands through her hair trying to keep a steady breathing rhythm. "Kenzi?!"

"Yes,"

"When-when was the last time you two-"

"The night before you got here,"

"So she had just-you had just finished-right before she hopped in her payed-for-by-you car and came to get me?"

"Yes,"

"Wow! Yep! Just fucking-I don't even have normal thoughts right now," she began to do a half pace in her tiny imaginary box she had set for herself.

"Its not what you think. It's dark and maybe disturbing to you and yes it's wrong. But it was never, has never been anything more then something to satisfy mutual needs. Through the years she's become my best friend and I genuinely love her like a sister, nothing more I swear to you,"

"No, no, no! Do not just tell me you've been occasionally fucking Kenzi for ten years and then follow it up with I love her like a sister. There is so, SO MANY things wrong with that sentience," feeling the nausea in her stomach growing she suddenly felt a laugh escape. "I feel so bad for Skylar, I mean I really-really pity the woman. I hated her for touching you, for having you but now? I mean if Danielle didn't make me pity her enough this-this takes it to another level. You weren't just cheating on her for the month with me and got me pregnant to top it off. But you make her watch as you fuck Ty, make her believe you actually feel for her. And to top all of it off the woman you think of like a sister you've fucked for ten years. Yeah I think I genuinely feel worse for her then I do myself right now,"

"Me too," she let her eyes fall to the ground unable to face her wife any longer. Yet the worse wasn't over yet. She hadn't said the thing that would almost without a doubt send her wife away for good. She had never said this aloud, not even to Kenzi who had come to learn more about her darkness then anyone. "I have one last thing to tell you,"

"There's more? Really? What could you possibly have left? Are you Hitler in reincarnate? Become a cannibal? Planning world domination?"

"It's about Danielle,"

"Please tell me she's alive Lauren because that's the only confession on this topic I can handle,"

_'Like ripping off a band aid,' _she thought to herself watching as Bo was sinking lower and lower into a seemingly bottomless pit of pain.

"I had fed off of her and she had fed off of me,"

"I'm thinking we're not talking chi here because that isn't that big of deal and you've only been dropping atomic bombs so I'm guessing it's not just chi feeding then huh,"

"No Bo, bloodletting,"

"The super sexual, practically make you cum the more you drink bloodletting?" she bit her lip till she tasted the bitter taste of her own blood, feet planting on the cool wood. "That bloodletting?"

"That was as far as anything ever went and it wasn't that big of deal as you're making it seem. It was different then with us,"

"What is wrong with you? Really what is wrong with you? You love Kenzi like a sister but you fuck her once and a while for good measure and Danielle IS your daughter and you-"

"Bo it wasn't as sexual as you think-it's different with us because-it just is,"

"Excuse me if that doesn't make me feel better,"

"You have to understand that with the ascension-"

"Oh my God! I am so fuckin' sick and tired of this ascension bullshit Lauren. Just stop this is what accepting that part of myself means then no thank you. No fucking thank you. I'm fine with no murder relapses and emotions I can control without a vat of vodka and tranquilizers. But most of all I really am okay with thinking of Kenz as a sister and NOT fucking her. And I really am okay with thinking of Sean and Danielle as just my children,"

"I didn't think of her as anything more. Dammit Bo you don't understand!"

"No and I don't want to." as Lauren took a step closer the succubus took one back. "What is wrong with you?" after the month of twisted affection, of humiliation, of pain, of hope, of a love stuck between darkness and purity she suddenly saw the woman in front of her for what she really was.

Lauren was dark, twisted, depraved to surprising limits and weak.

Yet so was she because under all of the rage, and pain she still loved her wife. There wasn't a confession Lauren could have said to make her run away, to stop loving her and that scared herself more then anything Lauren had just confessed.

"You're so sick!" she screamed while taking another step back. "You are so fucked up in the head!" she yelled out not sure if it was intended for Lauren or for herself.

"Bo—"

"You lied to me Lauren! You've just kept lying and lying and lying! You had so many chances to come clean. So many chances to just come out with it but yet you continued to play these games. Why? Just tell me why? What was this before you found out about me being pregnant? What some sick revenge game?!"

"No," she took two steps closer and Bo took the final one back running into the desk.

"Then what? All the fights we've had, all the shit that went down with Danielle, when I asked you about Kenzi?! You could have came clean any number of times!"

"No I couldn't have," two more steps forward.

"Yes you could have,"

"If I did you would have ran again and I couldn't let that happen," Lauren's voice rose for the first time coming no where near her wife's volume yet a drastic change from the mousy, embarrassed whispers her confession had sprouted from.

"And now?"

"Now you can't," Lauren's voice dropped again a layer of shame coating her words. Bo's eyes followed Lauren's down to her stomach. Her rage growing as her heart felt as if an anvil had been dropped on it.

"That's why you triggered the change right?! So I'd need you?!"

"You had already been changing for years we went over this, and you were the one who asked to see Bo."

"No you're right—-you got me to play myself into this game right? Bat your eyes enough, tear up when needed, make sure it happens at the right time and you wouldn't need to do anything else I'd lead myself right into it,"

"It wasn't like that,"

"No?!" Bo's arms flew up palms hitting her wife's shoulders. "No?!" again. "Then what was it?!" again. "Tell me what was it?!" and again. Lauren refused to react in any way other then standing her ground allowing her wife to deal out a mere sliver of what she deserved. Though the longer she simply took the punishment the more it made the succubus' rage grow. "Come on! Do something. The big, bad, ascended Queen," she sneered with added force with each shove. "You're the alpha right?! I'm just another subject- another bitch to you right?! You're just gonna stand there and take it?" Bo's eyes began to lighten, traces of blue evident. "I only had to look at you the wrong way before. Just had to speak out of line and you were putting me in my place!" as the force grew Lauren let herself go back a little more with each hit making the succubus follow. "Fight back! Put me in my place!" once more, she ignored her wife's commands and accepted her punishment.

"I am sorry. I don't know what else to say. I've become a horrible person and I know it-I didn't realize how much until you come back," she reached out just to watch as Bo back away from the touch in disgust. "I love you so much,"

"LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!" she went leaned forward going to resume her previous actions only this time Lauren took a step back.

Enormous amounts of pain consumed her, driving her mad from the reality in front of her. She didn't know the truth anymore. She didn't know anything any more. She was in so much pain while skating along the ledge of blinding rage. She wasn't sure what confession was the source of the pain, the source of her outbursts because if she was honest she knew them all already. In fact the they were a lot less devastating than the conclusions she had come up with herself.

Especially the one concerning their daughter.

Maybe it was the final straw in realizing this woman in front of her really wasn't who she thought she was. Maybe it was the fact of realizing she didn't know this woman anymore. Maybe it was the fact of hearing aloud that she wasn't the only one Lauren could see anymore. Maybe it was the fact she had suddenly felt like she was just another body for a bit of variety, but nothing more. Maybe it was the fact she knew that even after the spontaneous confessions the blonde was still holding herself back. Maybe it was because Lauren had been so subdued and she took it as yet another sign of not caring enough to fight when the outcome wasn't to cum. Maybe it was because the confessions weren't bad enough to make her walk away for good like a part of her was hoping they would be.

Maybe because she finally realized she wasn't the person she thought she was, she didn't know herself any better then she did when she had run away ten years ago.

"I'm not lying!"

"It's what you are," she whispered as her knees buckled, legs collapsing beneath her. Though she wasn't given a chance to hit the ground instead she found herself wrapped in her wife's strong embrace.

A screaming desire to struggle for a freedom that she didn't truly want fell to the pain crushing her soul among so many other things. When it was all but too late Lauren showed her the face she recognized, the one that kept her chained to her. When their dance was all but over, now she was exposing the frailty beneath a thought to be frozen heart. When she finally saw not only Lauren's but her own true self, saw all that remained from the damage their shared sickness had left she was taunted with shiny promises of more. Of something better that they hadn't yet explored.

Tucked safely within the arms of her hero and her demise she felt her soul like her heart and any reminisce of will breaking with every second she allowed it. She could sense the darkness whispering to her from just beneath her feet and she needed something good, something pure to hold onto. If she didn't find it, she was gone. She would fall into the sickness inside. She would finally give in once and for all.

"I'm sorry." Lauren repeated as she tightly held the woman while repeatedly kissing her cold, dampened cheek and pouty, unresponsive lips. "I'm so sorry Bo, I don't know what else to tell you any more. I made so many wrong choices, so many bad decisions-"

"Bad decision, bad choices? That's what you're calling it?" she whispered against her wife's shoulder.

"Bo look at me," a soft concern entangled in every letter. Opening her eyes with a sniffle she pulled back half surprised that the blonde had let her. Her glassy eyes, a blurry vision coming into focus on her wife's beautiful features.

"I finally see who you really are," she answered with pain._ 'I see who I really am,' _she thought to herself with another wave of pain. Bo leaned back further taking her wife's ringed hand and lifting it up with her own. "Never have two creatures been so meant to be," using her free hand she reached up sliding her fingers underneath the gold cross so it rested in her hand. Holding still her eyes moved up to her wife's eyes. Beneath angelic features there was uglyness she had refused was there until this moment. "Do you think he'll over look our sins as I had," she let her hands drop to her side breaking off all contact.

"Wh-what?" she let out genuinely not understanding the question.

"I've never been a saint and I have done a lot of things to hurt you throughout the years. Some I hadn't even realize until recently and there is probably so much more-but nearly everything had happen by carelessness, immaturity-but never have I set out to destroy you. Never have I ever **wanted **to hurt you. Not like you, everything you've done so systematically and planed out," she took a breath. "You've intentionally set out to hurt me, destroy me. Every cut you've ever made has been twice as deep as the ones I've caused yet I always forgave you," her words were heavy, and lingering. "Do you know why?"

"N-no. Why?" The Queen shook her head and swallowed back another jerk of nausea.

"Because I thought it was my fault. I thought I deserved whatever pain you could dish out because I deserved it. I felt that I drove you to it with every mistake I made. I hurt so, so much so many times and I thought I deserved the pain." her voice trailed off lingering sorrow getting the better of her.

"Bo-"

"Turns out," her pain was so raw, intense, and festering with unspoken apologies and madness. "We both deserved it, huh?"

"Bo you don't deserve this-any of this," Lauren's voice broke as she took a step back half giving her wife space she seemed to desperately need and half at the physical pain she felt building within her stomach.

After all what could she possibly say anymore? The confessions were out, the cat had been let out of the bag. There was no more lies only heartbreaking and disgusting truth. She had never realized just how awful it was until she spoke it aloud and watched Bo crumble to pieces in front of her own eyes.

In a moment of weakness, of emotion and ill-placed hope she had thought that there could be a future for them. She thought that with the weight of lies no longer dragging them down and disguises to hide themselves behind they could be okay. But in that moment of weakness she had done nothing but condemn herself. And now as she stood there staring at the one woman who held her heart, her soul and her humanity she was loosing everything. Her control, her power. Everything was slipping away including this imperfectly perfect woman, it was all going.

Queen, leader of the Fae, ascended hybrid were all just titles now. She had in a single moment of naive weakness become a shell of a woman-of who she once was.

"I'm not who I thought I was-but I'm not who I was before either. I know the difference between needing to run away and needing to walk away," Bo's glittering eyes met her's. In other circumstances she might have been shocked at the picture of pure misery in the blonde's gaze, but not this time. She couldn't feel anything but defeat.

Sitting happily on the couch mending a relationship with her son with the faint promise of a new one with her wife, she had thought she won. Over Skylar over Ty even deep down over Kenzi and anyone else. She had thought she won over fate. And when they began to fight she was determined to become the victor. Determined to make this woman hurt and fall as low as she had fallen. But in this moment a realization hit her. There was no victory to be had here.

Nothing would ever be right again. She would never have vengeance. She would never have victory. She would never have her pride again. She would never have her heart back. She would never have her freedom.

"Where are you going?" Lauren asked trying not to sound demanding of an answer.

"I need to walk away Lauren. Never in all my time of knowing you have I ever called or thought of you as a whore-now that's all I can think. Never have I felt true disgust for you until this moment. I want to actually hurt you Lauren-like physically, emotionally, mentally-all of it. I want to take from you what you've taken from me but I realize I can't because it was taken from you long ago. I feel nothing but anger and rage and pain but I feel the same for myself. I still love you and maybe it's emotions or this cursing ascension change but I can't control myself. So I need to walk away,"

"Bo-"

"I need to walk away for you and for myself and because the more upset I get the more my stomach hurts and I need to do what we couldn't do for our first children. I need to put them above us," as the elevator doors open she slipped inside. "If you've changed as much as you think then you'll feel the same and let me go,"

Lauren held her breath as she watched the doors come to a close. She had wished she could chase after her and explain, but how do you explain the unforgivable? She wished she could take it back but wishing wasn't going to change a thing. For a brief moment the thought of falling back into the nothingness that hovered over her mind, taunting her but she did something she hadn't done in a long time. She refused it. Being weak had got her, if pain was going to be her punishment then so be it.

Game after game, manipulation after manipulation had brought her here, brought **them** here.

So now she refused to play any more.

Slinking over to the couch she collapsed down, head falling back onto the cushion as tears slipped through closed eyelids.

* * *

**Elevator**

She had her hands stuffed in her pants pockets, head resting against the cold metal of the elevator.

She wished she had never returned. She wished she had never left. She wished she had never laid eyes on Lauren. She wished she had never let the woman out of her sight. She had wished she had never fallen prey to Lauren's game. She had wished she just knew the rules. She hated her wife. She hated herself more.

Everything in her body and in her mind was at a collision. No half of her would let the one win. Stuck in a battle of wills with herself.

"Perfect," she let out as the doors opened for Kenzi.

"Good evening to you too," she stepped in, slightly less venom to her words then normal. "What Lauren not putting out tonight?"

"I don't know, why don't you go up and find out," she said through clenched teeth.

"Well she finally told you huh?"

"Yeah. She FINALLY told me,"

"Come on Bo it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out," Kenzi shook her head, tearing her eyes from the succubus. "That always was your problem. You always needed everyone to come right out and tell you everything otherwise you were clueless,"

"Yeah insult the outta control, hormonal pregnant woman whose wife you been fucking for ten years,"

"Oh step off the cry-me-a-river soap box. First off it wasn't like we were doing it every day having some grand love affair of the centenary. It happened maybe once every eight months. And second-you left,"

"I'm so fucking sick of that! I left-you fucked my wife! You who I love, who I consider my sister spent the past ten years having sex with my wife. I DON'T CARE if it was only once every year it shouldn't have happened," she let out a loud growl to herself as the doors open and she stomped out. Taking a look around earning another growl. "This isn't my floor!"

"You two are still as perfect for each other as you were the day you met,"

"Gee thanks that's heartwarming coming from you,"

"She's still hiding from what she is and you're still running from what you are,"

"Yeah well you and her army of minion evil lovers-sorry you belong in that category now-"

"I love her like a sister Bo it never went to another level,"

"Stop! What is wrong with you two? Why is it okay to be all I love you like a sister now lets go do it?" Bo bit her lip, nostrils flaring as she scowled down at Kenzi.

"Because it's true. You want to keep living in this human, idealization world that we started in. Well news flash Bo you and Lauren and even myself aren't those people any more and we aren't human. We live in a dark, twisted, complicated, broken world. You want to stand there and scream that we're disgusting but it's true. Me and Lauren never loved each other above the love for a sister. I can't love a man—that's price I paid and sometimes it's nice to feel a closeness and that's what she provided. She needed to feel the same closeness. I know her in ways Skylar and Ty or anyone else never could,"

"How sweet should I RSVP for the wedding now or do I have some time,"

"Still such a bone head." Kenzi just chuckled shaking her head.

"You were supposed to be my sister Kenz,"

"You were supposed to be mine! You were supposed to be her wife! You were supposed to be Danni and Sean's mother! You left us all!"

"So this is your revenge?!"

"It was a lot of things. It was revenge, it was fear, it was the need to be held by someone who knows you, who recognizes you even when you don't know yourself. It was a need to feel actual love as flawed as it is. It was a need for her to feed and not wanting random strangers. We were broken-we still are. We did the best we knew how to do with things neither of us understood and you ran. So no Bo you don't get to judge the people you left with how they tried to survive. Not live Bo, survive,"

"Kenzi you-"

"You think you were the only one who wanted to run?" she stomped her foot turning to face the succubus. "You don't think we all did? You don't think Sean did, who had just lost his innocence and his sister? Don't think he wanted to get away from it all? But he couldn't because he had a broken mother and aunt to worry about. A broken race to help his mother rebuild because she was alone. Me? I lost Hale and a niece, a sister, the man that I loved and trusted. I nearly lost my sanity and my life. I wanted to run. But I couldn't because my sister had skipped town leaving the broken pieces to be picked up by her broken wife and son. Me and Lauren took turns between going catatonic, it was quite fun."

"I-"

"You look around and see this world and think you can shrug off guilt because we did fine? News flash, we are not fine! This world you see took years to build on the backs of people who had no business building it. She needed you, Sean needed you. **I **needed you. But you needed to run so fine we lived with it. Now you need to live with how we fixed what you left. You don't get to say I want to build a house and then vanish and be surprised that nothing is how you wanted,"

"I am sorry-"

"No you're not. You went and fixed yourself-kinda. You had your fun. You aren't sorry so don't say you are. You're still my sister, and I still love you so I can tell you this. Just because I don't wanna hangout and have movie night doesn't mean I won't one day. Just because we're all broken now doesn't mean we always will be. Accept what happen-accept yourself and maybe we can all start rebuilding for once,"

"I really hate you right now," Bo whispered stepping out of the elevator that had been stopped for a good five minutes now.

"Well I really hate you right now too,"

The succubus bit her bottom lip nodding in defeat, in understanding. Shoving her hands back in her pockets she walked down the hall mind clearing from it's emotional cloud. Kenzi was right like she usually was. She had always managed to see more then anyone else and she always had the balls to say it aloud no matter the risk.

Making it past the front doors the crisp air of the night child her skin and cold concrete on her bare feet giving her chills but it didn't bother her too much. She was seeing the world in a new light.

She had so much to figure out about herself, her family and oddly enough she felt this was the first step. She was beyond angry with her wife and sister yet she held a gratefulness for them. They had both spoken the truth. They had both put all the cards on the table and gave her the power. For once she had the power. Even though she had run away ten years ago that didn't mean she had power to do anything more then hurt people. Even though she could continue to have her outbursts and tantrums she was just proving she was immature and hadn't changed a bit.

What gave her power was knowing the whole truth. Knowing where everyone stood, what had been done on all sides of the table. What gave her power was having not only a peace of mind but having control over herself.

She had learned things about herself she never wanted to know, never dreamed possible. The same going for her wife. They were dark and frightening but they were the truth. They were the prelude answers to questions her soul desired for years. They were also preludes to new questions but that wasn't the issue at the moment.

She had the power to chose who she became. She had the power to decide whether or not to stay on the merry-go-round that was her marriage or walk away, not run but walk away. She also had the power to match Lauren's step no matter how scary or painful and move towards a new, uncertain future.

She looked up at the building the light from her once home shining bright. She looked behind herself off into the distance imagining beyond the wall. And then she looked down at her stomach as she felt a weird tinge of discomfort.

She had a tendency to live in the moment. Enjoy life as it came and deal with the issues the same way.

But in this moment it would decide her future. No matter what step she took, where she decided to go it would begin to pave the way for the next chapter for her.

Looking up and then behind herself once more she exhaled a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding as she prayed the decision she had just made was the right one.


	28. Those Damned Rules Of Mine

**Rated Mild M**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Those Damned Rules Of Mine**

* * *

'**Welcome back to CNN where we continue with our breaking news coverage, at 7:45 p.m.**

_As we are coming to the end of the sixth day of violence the epidemic seems to be spreading. With Moscow, Florence, Kenya and Berlin all now reporting wide spread riots. All now joining both North and South America, which have all been engulfed in violence along with China. This all having begun six days ago when almost simultaneously Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Detroit, Chicago, and Boston broke into deadly riots. _

_We still have no direct answer as to why this has continued through the week or what exactly has set this odd and sad occurrence off. Nor do we have an exact death toll as the numbers continue to skyrocket with dangerously high numbers._

_The religious communities have continued to voice their opinions from the shouting's that this is the rapture to various denominations saying nothing other than to pray for peace. _

_Shortly after we come back we'll be speaking with Connor Agathon, the Speaker of House of the United States,__**'**_

* * *

"_Great," _she thought looking over the rim of her coffee cup as she sat on the overly uncomfortable kitchen stool. She continued to try and remind herself of the positive things to be thankful for like the fact her coffee was the exact right temperature. Or that the CNN reporter while human was married to a Fae man and she had gotten the woman's brother pardoned from prison. Thus why the focus of why millions of violent people raging in the streets yelling either death to the Queen or long live the Queen had been all but completely erased from the reports.

"What is he gonna say, he has nothing to say," Kenzi griped from the couch flipping through folders.

"Maybe he's thought of a way to blame me without outing the Fae. He's a sneaky bastard,"

"That would be pretty impressive,"

* * *

'_**Welcome back to CNN where we continue with our breaking news coverage, at 7:55 p.m.**_

_**CNN R:**__ Welcome Mr. Speaker pleasure to have you,_

_**CA:**__ Pleasure to be here,_

_**CNN R**__: Well lets get right into it America has come under fire for not declaring martial law or even deploying it's National Guard while ten of your biggest cities are in complete chaos. Can you explain that?_

_**CA:**__ Well it's simple beyond having complete faith in the local and state law enforcement declaring martial law would do nothing but create more unrest, more panic. As far as National Guard it is an option still on the table but it is one of the last resorts for similar reasons,_

_**CNN R:**__ Well exactly how long does the President plan to wait until this is considered a state of emergency?_

_**CA:**__ Lets get one thing clear while these riots are terrible and we are working none stop on ways to end them, they are nothing new. Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta are all high crime and high murder cities._

_**CNN R:**__ So you're saying because these cities are known for being poverty stricken and high crime rates it's simply not as important to neutralize the violence as quickly-since they're use to it?'_

* * *

"That a' girl," Lauren let out suddenly very interested in this considering her news reporter was not only not buckling under Connor's visit but going after him like a well-trained, rabid dog.

"It's not a boxing match,"

"I know," she nodded taking a seat on the opposite couch. "But I wouldn't be oppose to it turning into one,"

* * *

'_**CA:**__ No of course not I am only stating that these cities have some experience in these types of unfortunate situations so there is some leeway to give,_

_**CNN R**__: Ah I see. So as I stated because the less fortunate are used to these horrible conditions it's fine to leave things as they are while cities more profitable such as Manhattan, D.C., San Francisco, Houston and Miami have not only had National Guard but various privet security companies deployed-just as a precaution. And I say precaution because no actual riots have been reported from said cities,_

_**CA:**__ Well D.C is of course the nation's capital—_

_**CNN R:**__ Of course D.C., the White House is understandable. And I'm sure for some Miami the city producing the highest amounts of legal and non-legal narcotics. Manhattan where one half of the country's richest is living. Houston the country's largest producer of oil—you see where I am going with this,_

_**CA:**__ I do, I do but I assure you it is simply not the case you are making it out to be._

_**CNN R:**__ I'm sure it isn't,_

_**CA:**__ I just have one question for you, if that's okay,_

_**CNN R:**__ Of course,_

_**CA:**__ I find it odd that you primarily and several other CNN reporters have barely touched on the issue of what these people you care so much about are yelling in the streets. By all accounts I think that is just as curious and interesting as everything else,'_

* * *

"Oh donkey balls," Kenzi dropped her folder on the table.

"She's got it,"

"She's about to fold like a cheap folding table,"

"She's got it,"

* * *

'_**CNN R:**__ I believe we have covered that adequately. And while another interesting fact amongst many it is not the most pressing nor does anyone have any answers as to-why some members of the riots are yelling said words,_

_**CA:**__ Avoiding saying Queen? And I wouldn't say some members—I was just watching coverage and I am pretty sure everyone is yelling it out,_

_**CNN R:**__ Well I'll be sure to take that into consideration on the next rounds of reports. Thank you for coming,_

_**CA:**__ I am so sure __**you**__ will. Thank you for having me,_

* * *

"Told you she wouldn't fold,"

"Could have gone better," Kenzi turned the volume down before returning to her previous folder.

"Everything could be going better, try looking at the positive,"

"This is your new thing? Bo is on her being an adult kick and you're on your glass is half full kick," she shook her head tossing the folder down on the couch while bringing herself to her feet. "Just more games,"

"I am simply trying to make the best out of a bad situation no games involved,"

"Mm-hm and I'ma up and join the circus tomorrow. It's a new game with new rules and kiddie gloves. She is all trying to be an adult and out-adult-you while you are trying to prove you can be positive and not have fits of rage—thus trying to out adult her. You two **need** games to function just like you need each other-always have,"

"This time it's not a game it is simply us trying to move forward on a new leaf. I am abiding by her rules and I am trying to be a better person. And she is abiding by said rules and she is trying to be a better person,"

"Blah, blah, blah, blah—you're both tryna out better person the other," rolling her eyes as she walked toward the kitchen.

* * *

**Bo's Apartment **

The succubus snorted not sure why she was surprised anymore her wife's reach was wide and deep so why be surprised that this CNN reporter would be in Lauren's pocket. Sighing in unexplained frustration she pressed the tiny, red button on the remote before dropping it on the mattress next to her. She wanted to catch a few extra minutes of relaxation before she forced herself to get up and make her way around a city that she hadn't yet found a place in. Eyes dancing over the ceiling and down the walls to the window where she had mistakenly left the blinds half open. It was no longer blindingly sunny but a light dusk as the night approached. And tonight she was determined to do something she hadn't been—enjoying herself.

Only problem was Lauren continued to get into her thoughts. Continuously pecking away at her defenses like a sexy maniacal woodpecker. This had been her idea for space and distance and to be an adult about all things involving them. She had carefully thought out her list of terms throughout that night and the next morning when she delivered them to Lauren she still believed them to be the best idea she had, had in a long time. Only now the list seemed to be too long, too strict, too demanding.

Closing her eyes as she slipped her hands under her head she went back over the list contemplating if there were any loopholes to be found.

**1: From this moment forward no more lies of any kind- **'_nope need that one'_

_**2**_**: No more sleeping with Kenzi—'**_nope deff need that one'_

**3: No more sleeping with anyone else—**_**'**__need'_

**4: No feeding off of anyone else meaning no chi sucking and no bloodletting or any other unspoken about feeding that the suck fest of the ascension may have triggered—'**_need'_

**5: No backsliding into emotionless, vapid, evil, insulting, devil women and in return I will not backslide into being an immature, petulant child who only cares about myself—'**_Still a must have'_

_**6:**_** We must work on open communication not only for us but for and with our son and unborn babies—'**_Really need'_

_**7: **_**We will not feed off of each other for a respectable time frame unless absolutely needed**_**—'**__Six days is respectable right? No, not long enough'_

_**8:**_** We will not have sex for a respectable time frame—'**_Six days is really pretty good right? NO, NO, NO'_

**9: We will not have sexualness of any kind including sexting, sex, touching, sex, or overly flirting and suggestive talk of any kind-'**_What is a respectable time frame?'_

_**10:**_** If at any time rules one through six are broken on either side then the chance of an us is no longer on the table and will not be again—'**_Need. Need. Hm rules one through six and ten are the important ones right?'_

Heaving an impatient sigh, Bo kicked her feet at the mattress as she turned onto her side. Last night had been yet another horrible drawn out night. She told herself she was glad Lauren hadn't showed yet again following her exact rules. She told herself that she couldn't spend all of her time with her wife and they had to abide by the rules she made. She told herself that she needed to be okay living without being around Lauren all day—after all she had done it for ten years. She told herself that it was all for a good cause.

The weakness of her heart and her body told her something entirely different.

Laying on this bed last night had been pure torture. Memory after memory flashed and imprinted itself into her mind. It had been an agonizing wait. A simply empty wait. The first three days had been pretty easy with the pain still fresh, her anger still fresh. But by the fourth day she found that by the night she was wishing for any kind of contact with her wife but reciting the rules over and over again got her through it. Last night though was not quite as easy. She wanted her wife's voice, her touch, her warmth, her body—she wanted it all.

Throughout the night she had alternated between pacing and forcing herself to lay still. Every nighttime noise and every shift in the lonely apartment was a whisper of promised pleasure. Wherever she was, her eyes would continually dart to the slightly open door, hoping Lauren's desire to be with her had become too much and she was on the other side.

She never was though.

Swinging her feet off the ledge of the bed, she dragged herself over to the closet that still didn't feel like hers and limply looked through each item that she had bothered to hang. Finally landing on a black, strapless dress with a six inch slit up the left thigh and tossed it onto the bed. Moving to the dresser she rifled through until finding a bra and a pair of panties in matching bright red tossing them carelessly onto the dress.

'_May as well while I still got the body for em,' _she thought looking down at the garments.

She doubted she would see Lauren tonight. Why would tonight be any different than the rest. Lauren was good at following orders especially when they gave her the leeway to do nothing. Lauren at any point after day two could have showed up to make an extra effort. She could have asked her out or showed up for a romp or two. She could have even showed up to vent about work but instead Lauren was following rules to the tee.

She couldn't be upset she gave her wife the rules, so how could she be upset Lauren was following them.

Going into her bathroom she quickly began her shower, disrobing at flash-like speed. Standing under the hot water she softly sighed with pleasure. Her nipples tightened in response, goose bumps coating her skin as her body began to hum. The water felt so deliciously warm, its' caress touching her all over.

Laying on the bottom of the oversized tub, she opened her mouth and let the droplets flow down her throat. Hesitantly laying her hand on her stomach, Bo let her memories drench her. Closing her eyes, she saw her wife's body sprawled on the bed just waiting to be taken.

One of her new found abilities was that of memory—each memory saved in a little room while waiting to be played. Each memory able to be watched like her own privet movie collection with high definition and surround sound. Hell if she let herself slip far enough into her memories they could become near three-D.

But still memory was just a pale substitute for reality. The reality of the feeling of Lauren's warm body pressed tightly against her own, moving together until they melded into one. The reality of being devoured by passion. The reality of being hers and in those moments knowing it beyond a doubt.

Shifting her legs, she brought one up and held it in the air bottom of her foot resting against the slippery wall. In an instant she saw it resting over her wife's shoulder as she was running her lips and tongue along her skin. Sigh escaping her lips she saw Lauren's mouth pressed against her, maddeningly sucking sensitive flesh as she gasped her wife's name.

Bringing down her leg, she let her hand drift a little further. Her entire body felt so sensitive just by memory.

"Nope! Not going down this road," she said aloud to herself jolting up pressing her knees to her chest letting the water fall over her.

She wasn't going to do it, wasn't going to slip up. This was the gateway and she knew it. It would start with fixating on memories and self-gratification that would only make the desire worse and then she would undoubtedly run to Lauren. She wasn't going to break this time. She would bend if Lauren took the first step but she would not break.

Standing up she didn't bother with a towel going to find her clothes. She was going to hold up her end of the rules but she wasn't going to remain a prisoner to the apartment that had been forced on her. She wasn't going to simply walk the halls of the compound with no job because she had nowhere else to go. She wasn't going to aimlessly walk around the city like some tourist trying to find a place where she felt comfortable. It wasn't her style.

If Lauren wanted to give her a job she'd be happy to do it. If Lauren wanted to take the incentive and take her around the city showing all that had changed, then she would love it. If her wife wanted to come and spend time in the forced upon apartment she would happily act as the housewife she had become before the past ten years. But that wasn't Lauren's style.

Fully dressed she shuffled back to the bathroom staring in the mirror wondering just how fixed up she should make herself. The past ten years had been modeling for the runways and creating the image of an unattainable creature but now she was pregnant and had a complicated relationship with her wife. She wasn't going to sleep with anyone and knowing Lauren wouldn't be there she wasn't trying to entice anyone. But old habits die hard plus a little attention never killed anyone and if her wife wasn't going to give it then what was the harm.

* * *

**Black Orchid 9:55 P.M.**

"Can I buy you a drink?" a bleach blonde asked leaning over the bar top making sure to show as much cleavage as possible. The question sprouting from a silky soft voice grabbing the succubus' attention from the band.

"That would be ill-advised," Bo didn't need to turn around to know the voice, no she had known that voice for thirty-seven years. Any other moment she would have secretly been delighted to hear it but at the moment of having a somewhat drunk and probably promiscuous, porn-star looking female all but ready to jump on her made it not quite so pleasurable.

"I thought the blonde, bull-dyke was your girl," the stranger slurred sitting up slightly. "Why you concerning yourself with an Orchid Girl?"

"You're a child so I'm going to overlook the fact that you offered to buy **my** pregnant **wife** a drink," Lauren moved out from behind Bo as she spoke. "And that you just called her an Orchid Girl," the girl's eyes widened, cheeks turning beat red as she slipped off the bar-stool. "Run along,"

"Thank you," she whispered before disappearing into the crowd.

"Something's don't change-can't leave you alone for a minute or people are going to be pawning all over you,"

"It wasn't what you think,"

"I am thinking a lot of things Bo," she finally turned to face the succubus.

"I wasn't flirting and I wasn't going to,"

"I know,"

"You know?"

"Mm-hm, I been watching you for a few minutes,"

"Well-okay then," she flexed her brow and pouted her lips before taking a sip of her sprite. "They call and tell you I left?"

"There are nicer places inside the city walls. Two clubs, four sports bars, one hippie bar and three regular bars. There are also over two dozen restaurants. Two dozen fast food places and almost fifteen coffee places. Couple of book stores and three movies theaters—also a play theater. Plenty of places classier, cleaner, safer, and more enjoyable. Also not that I should be advertising this but we do have three strip clubs—well two strip clubs and one adult themed store,"

"I wouldn't know," taking another sip.

"You've been back for over a month, you've had plenty of time to explore,"

"Do I look like Dora to you?"

"If Dora had D-cups, loved showing cleavage and had a favoritism to heavy eyeliner then yeah-I could see it," Lauren grinned as her wife scowled at her from behind her cup.

"Slipping back into bitchy-vill?"

"Nope, I'm actually in a pretty decent mood. I was in a great mood until I heard you had come here and I was still in a good mood until your run in with the girl-gone-wild reject,"

"Great mood huh, must be all the space from me," setting her cup down she tilted her head toward the blonde. "Now what? Gonna drag me outta here kicking and screaming?"

"Wasn't planning on it,"

"Gonna stand in the shadows and watch me from afar to make sure I behave?"

"Wasn't planning on that either,"

"Well I'm out of ideas then. Why you're here-or rather **still **here,"

"Maybe I see a beautiful woman I want to buy a non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverage for," she gracefully slid up onto the stool next to her wife. "Maybe I want to chat up said woman for a bit,"

"And all in front of your wife,"

"I'm ballsy now, didn't I tell you?" Lauren's left brow rose with a smirk waiting to see if she could earn one from her wife.

"Nope must have forgotten it during confession night," Bo regretted it the second it slipped past her lips. She didn't understand why she was suddenly so combative, this was what she wanted. She wanted Lauren to pursue her and make her feel special. She wanted to see glimpses of the woman she knew. "I—I didn't mean to say that,"

"Yes you did but it's okay," she turned away waving her hand at the bartender who literally dropped what he was doing and jogged over to them. "I'll have a red wine, the oldest you have and she'll have a water,"

"Right away," he dipped his head, scrambling off.

"Water? Really?"

"You already had your daily fix of caffeine. Thank you," she smiled as he gave them their drinks.

"Ballsy and bossy are not the best qualities,"

"You like them though,"

"Do I?"

"Yes because ballsy means I can do this," as she spoke she leaned forward just slightly as her fingertips gently grazed Bo's exposed skin from the side of her knee up the inside of her thigh stopping just underneath the hem of her dress.

"And what does bossy mean?" asking softly throat suddenly dry.

"In the context of tonight-I haven't figured it out yet,"

"Well it's gonna take a lot to beat ballsy,"

"I bet," smirking she used her free had to take a drink and letting her previously teasing hand rest on her wife's knee.

"Why didn't you come last night?"

"Long version or short version?" taking another sip she looked back at Bo who was finally starting to soften. "We'll play a game, I answer yours and you answer mine. Think of it like a truth, communication skill building game,"

"Deal," she chuckled rolling her eyes.

"Easy answer because I was told to, was following your rules. More truthful answer was that I was scared of rejection, of pushing you to soon. My turn, when I came in why were you so turned on?" Bo felt her cheeks pinken at the question, her brow tensing. "I could smell you," the succubus' cheeks flushing red.

'_Damn super Fae powers,' _she thought to herself glaring at her wife. "Easy answer I was thinking about you. More truthful answer is that I was thinking about when I was getting ready and I was in the shower thinking about you and how I should have went through with my desires-would have made me probably a little more relaxed right now,"

"I don't blush that easy anymore," smirk growing as she picked up on Bo trying to get 'revenge'.

"We'll see," a devilish smirk emerging as she took the blonde's statement as a challenge. "On a scale of one to ten how close were you to hurting porno Barbie?"

"Five—if she stayed where she was at, had she moved any closer or touched you then probably an eight. Why did you come out tonight?"

"Because I didn't wanna be lonely anymore, because I wanted to feel pretty and wanted to be noticed. Why did we never have a threesome if you liked it so much?" Bo asked slightly harder than before, Lauren had crossed a line in her mind asking something so personal to her so now she was going to do the same.

"Why did we never? Because I would now most likely lose control and kill the person. Before I would have probably had a very aggressive fit and when I was human-then a less aggressive fit. I could never stand the thought of someone touching you let alone watch it. And I don't like them—not really,"

"Then why—"

"Not your turn," she finished her wine letting the liquid linger in her mouth as she thought of the next question. "Why so many men while you were away?"

"Because I like penetration and as strange as it may seem there are only some things I will do with you and toys are one," Bo answered quickly not nearly as shy as before, the desire for an answer to her next question drowning out her shyness. "If you aren't a fan then why'd you do it with them?"

"Many reasons, it was a way to keep both at a distance. Because I like penetration and there are something I will only do with you," smiling she held Bo's dark gaze for a moment before looking down at her hand still resting atop Bo's knee. "Because I liked that I could geekout with Ty and even though he wouldn't understand a thing he still listened and cared. I liked that Skylar could make me really laugh. I liked feeling these two things together reminding me that I was still something beyond a damned Fae. But as I came to realize I would have to have slept with twenty different people at once to achieve what I was searching for,"

"Which was," Bo leaned in, arms resting on the bar top.

"You. I would geekout with you and you'd make me feel smart, sexy, cute and adorable. You could make me smile; make me laugh no matter what was happening in my life. I was just searching for how I felt with you, searching for you," taking a deep breath she looked up to find a pained look covering her wife's features. "What?"

"Nothing I just think I understand a little more about the Kenzi incident,"

"Incident you're calling it?"

"Mm-hm,"

"Fair enough," the blonde's features suddenly turned serious. "Was self-gratification on the no-no list?"

"What?"

"Well you said that you had stopped so was that supposed to be a no-no?"

"N-no….why?" Bo tilted her head smile growing.

"No reason," shaking her head she picked up her freshly refilled glass. "Just wondering,"

"Hm,"

"Oh stop smiling like that,"

"Like what?"

"Like Salvestor when he caught Tweety,"

"I'm not smiling," Bo had to turn away trying to hide her giggle which earned a playful squeeze from her wife's planted hand.

"Can we change the subject?"

"What happened to ballsy? You were all I'm Mrs. Ballsy now, I don't blush," she said doing an overly dramatic impression that the Queen had only found funny for a moment.

"Don't push further then you're willing to go succubus," Lauren threatened leaning forward, eyes darkening, a seriousness to her tone.

"Lauren I—" her voice went up an octave as her wife's hand slid up the inside of her thigh stopping just as her fingertips touched the damp material of her thong.

"Well that's a surprise," a smirk pulled at the blonde's lips.

"I um—well I don't know why I decided to wear em'," swallowing her throat suddenly dry she tried to sit still. "Probably should have sat at a booth,"

"You think any of them would dare look at you with me sitting here?"

"That full of yourself?"

"Not full of, sure of and yes. Care to see?" she slid her tiny nails under the side hem of the material making the succubus' body jerk slightly.

"N-no,"

"Why because it goes against your rules?"

"No,"

"Then," holding her wife's gaze for a moment before abruptly removing her hand and standing. Taking a step to the side she placed a hand on the outsides of the woman's thighs just above the knees turning her so they were face to face. "I may have gone a little far in the bedroom with showing dominance," her voice dropped softening even further as she stared into deep, brown eyes. "I would never embarrass you like that; I would never treat you like that." Leaving the succubus' knee she rose her right hand gently sliding across Bo's throat to the back of her neck, fingertips teasing the little hairs on the back of her neck. "You are my wife. Not my whore or my bitch or some uneducated girl that I'll tire of playing with. You're my wife, the mother of my children, the love of my life,"

"How do you do that?" she spoke after a long pause.

"What?"

"Make me forget everything but my need for you?"

"I was wondering the same thing about you," leaning in she let her lips hovering above the succubus' but shifted to her cheek instead. Pulling back with a soft smile she took a step back. "Are you ready to go?"

"Mm-hm," she slid off the stool taking her purse with her. 'Don't we need to pay?" she asked looking over her shoulder as Lauren was guiding her. "Never mind stupid question," she shook her head at her wife's curious expression. "Did you really have someone waiting this whole time for you?"

"No I brought the Lauren-mobile,"

"Excuse me?"

"It's actually my own car that I spent hours customizing. It was a bonding thing with Sean; the car's buttons has buttons that I don't even know what they do,"

"Technically aren't they all your own cars?"

"Yes but I have some that are just** mine**," smiling at her wife's puzzlement she pulled the door open to the underground garage.

"Oh my God. This car alone would make me want to sleep with you," Bo's eyes widened as they fell upon the topic of conversation.

"Well that was my and our son's goal when working on it,"

"Mission accomplished,"

"Ten inch damage proof and tinted windows. The speakers have speakers, custom seats with custom fabric in a custom color that Sean named. It really is overly done but—"

"It's amazing. How fast does it go?"

"Two forty,"

"Can I see in side?" she asked genuinely excited.

"I'm so going to regret this," Lauren sighed as she pulled the keys from her pocket and hesitantly handed them to her wife before walking around the back of the car.

"Me drive? Really-like really?"

"Mm-hm, just remember you do not get points for hitting the hundreds of crazy people screaming in the streets. This is not Grand Theft Auto twenty-eight," Bo paused from getting in the car to look at her wife curiously. "Bonding with Sean again. I also know Call of Duty, Halo, NBA 2k and some damn annoying game where you just drive in circles trying to hit other people. I didn't see the point to that one,

"Who are you?" Bo laughed sliding into the driver's seat. "First lemme say this seat like slipping into a cloud while an adorable baby angel sings that la-la-la song," she let her eyes close head resting against the headrest. "Second who are you?" she giggled opening her eyes as she tilted her head to face the blonde.

"If I tell you then it'll ruin the mystery,"

"Fair enough," shrugging with a giant grin she sat up sliding the key into the ignition. "Fasten your seat belt babe," eyebrows wiggled sending Lauren into a tiny panic wondering what she had just gotten herself into.

* * *

**Inside Compound 1:34 A.M.**

"I had so much fun," Bo let out through the biggest smile as they waited for the elevator.

"Me too, maybe next time I can be there from the beginning and not have to stalk you,"

"But I'm finding the stalking a major turn on," she walked backwards into the elevator making sure there was hardly any space between them. "I'm not even kidding,"

"I know you're not,"

"Is that bad?"

"No,"

Neither was sure who had initiated it though neither had cared. Falling together as they always seemed to do, their lips meeting in a somewhat new fashion. Small, sweet and gently kisses while their tongues only teased lips rather then dueling. Bo's hands cupping her wife's cheeks as Lauren's hands rested on the small of her back.

And just as quick as it began it ended as the doors opened to Bo's apartment.

"This is gonna be different, you haven't been down here," she continued to babble as she walked out assuming Lauren was following. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping to your rules,"

"I said a reasonable time and six days is reasonable,"

"Reasonable time frame is a ten day minimum,"

"You're serious," Bo had now backtracked to the elevator, arms extended out her hands on both sides of the doors keeping them open. "Lauren," the call of the woman's name almost a whine.

"Sadly,"

"B-but in the—and in the car—and we—I mean—"

"You're not wrong but," Lauren leaned in mimicking her wife's position only her hands rested on Bo's wrists. "You made the rules and we agreed. You'll thank me in the morning,"

"I will if you stay, hell I'll be thanking you all night,"

"If I come in then yes you will be really, really, really, really satisfied and when you wake you'll still be happy but sometime in the middle of the day you'll think about it and be upset,"

"No I won't,"

"Yes you will because we promised to wait," stealing a lingering kiss she gently pushed the succubus' hands off of the doors. "Sweet dreams," huskily she whispered pulling back with a devilish smirk, her left eyebrow raised.

"So cruel," she whined taking a step back with the biggest puppy dog eyes.

"Your rules,"

Was all the succubus heard as the door came to a close leaving her staring at her own reflection. Sighing to herself she ran her hand through her hair unable to keep the smile from her face. This wasn't what she had expected to happen, it wasn't even what she wanted-it actually was better.

Turning around she walked into her apartment that tonight she didn't harbor such a hate for. Walking straight to the bedroom dropping her dress on the way. She knew not to expect Lauren tonight but for once it was alright. Tonight Lauren not showing up in the middle of the night showed her she cared.

Slipping onto the cool sheets not even bothering with the lights she let her eyes shut a smile plastered to her face to the point of pain but she didn't mind. No this pain was welcome.

Now if only she could erase some of those pesky rules.


	29. Navigating Through Complexities Part 1

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Navigating Through Complexities**

**(Of A Reasonable Time Frame)**

**Day 7 / 8:49 a.m.**

"Relax Bub, I'm here doing work not your wife,"

"Well that is a relief," Bo glared at the girl who was sitting on the couch sipping coffee and flipping through folders. "Speaking of my wife,"

"Still sleeping, she got in super late but then again I think you know that,"

"So you were here when she got in?"

"Yep,"

"And you're here now,"

"Obviously,"

"Lovely," jaw tightening ever so slightly she took a breath through her nose and silently counted to ten. "I'm just gonna go see my wife,"

"You do that,"

"Thanks for the moral support," the succubus' said over her shoulder as she made her way down the hall needing to have the last word. Her hand rose to knock on the door but decided to just enter. After all this was still kind of her bedroom and besides whatever the situation happened to be with Kenzi her pride refused not to show her dominance no matter how small a showing.

A tiny smile pulled at the corner of her lips as she found her wife sleep lying atop the covers. Her smile growing as she drew closer memories of last coming back to her still semi sleep laced mind. Taking a seat next to the blonde she rested her hand on her wife's arm as she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Seven days is not reasonable time fame," Lauren mumbled eyes still shut.

"That's not why I'm here,"

"Hm," eyes opened to slits just enough to see a blurry image of the succubus. "No you can't have the keys to my car,"

"That isn't why I'm here either,"

"Well then-I'm out of clever quips," the blonde's eyes opened bit more, a yawn escaping.

"Last night you took a step forward,"

"I did,"

"I'm here to take one now. I want you to take me exploring the city,"

"Sure. We can arrange that for tonight,"

"No not tonight now,"

"Right now?"

"Well not this moment silly but yeah within an hour,"

"Bo,"

"Lemme guess you got some super, important folders to go through with your inappropriate house guest?"

"No—well actually kind of. I have work Bo,"

"Right,"

"Don't do this,"

"Don't do what?" the succubus pulled her hand back and scooted toward the edge of the bed so she wasn't touching the blonde at all.

"Don't make me out to be the bad guy," she pushed herself up, back resting on the headboard now completely awake. "We can do it, I just can't do it now. But tonight will be fine,"

"Tonight will be fine? Like I'm some appointment you have to write off,"

"No you're not just some appointment but I do have to still work especially now,"

"Especially always,"

"Why does it have to be right this moment? Why does it have to be exactly on your time table?"

"Because," she stood up taking two steps away from the bed. "For the past twenty some years it's all been on your time,"

"That isn't true,"

"Yeah it is," she walked over to the door pulling it open. "Have a good day at work, I'll find another guide," she pulled the door shut behind herself refusing to give the woman the opportunity to get the last word.

**Day 7 / 1:22 p.m. **

Bo walked idly down the sidewalk hands shoved in her jeans pockets thumbs hanging out making it seem all the more sexual or at least people seemed to think so as nearly every man she past gave her a once over.

She had to give it to Lauren she had built an amazing city far past anything she would have expected. Beyond strip clubs, an onslaught of food and beverage places there was still quite a lot to be explored. Bookstores, clubs, parks, clothing stores of all types, office buildings and houses—it was quite the city with quite the population. The world outside of the walls may have been quickly descending into chaos but inside these walls you would never know.

Parks and stores filled with people along with the sidewalks. Humans and Fae who had the good luck of passing as human. Then there were those who walked the world in between and then those who looked as if they stepped right out of a fantasy book. All coexisting, all functioning as one community ignoring the differences that stood between them.

Again she could throw a million and one insults at her wife about any number of things but her job a Queen was not one of them.

"Hey!" the faintly familiar sound of the gently goofy voice pulled her attention enough to get her to stop. "Hey, Bo right?" she turned to find Eddie sitting on the bench facing inward toward the park.

"Yeah," she smiled politely walking the three steps back to him. "How are you?"

"Good. Chilling well not really it's pretty hot but then again unless it's under twenty degrees I'm always gonna be hot,"

"I'd imagine,"

"It's the fur," he smiled sliding over giving her no choice but to sit. "Most people think it's like a genetic thing but it's the fur. We get it cut and bam it's right back like a chia-pet,"

"I can understand my hair in the humidity is just-a chia-pet too," her brow tightened with a sigh. Rolling her eyes at herself, she didn't have anything against him she just wasn't in the mood to be friendly. Sadly Eddie was one of those people that you just couldn't be rude to.

"You and the Mrs. still working things out?" he made sure to use his oversized hands to do quotations on the latter half of the sentence.

"We're—fine,"

"Mm-hm," he nodded sipping his Slurpee.

"Really,"

"Mm-hm," and again.

"Really it's hard to understand if you're not filled in on everything and even then it's fuzzy. Me and Lauren are like a rollercoaster. Up, down and repeat but it's good—we always work it out, you know?"

"I like to watch a lot of movies-I know you're thinking this dude is a Yeti how the heck is he watching movies in mountains. It is a bit of a challenge but it can be done with a lot of batteries. And I do mean a lot, most of my UAWB goes to batteries,"

"UAWB?"

"Un-Able-To-Work-Benefits, program Lau—I mean the Queen set up for Fae like myself to be taken care of. Cut down quite a bit of violence lemme tell ya," he set his empty cup down on the ground before picking up his next one. "Point I was making was besides getting some great romantic tips that chicks dig, I saw this movie that gave me a great life philosophy that I've stuck with." He cleared his throat and turned to her slightly more serious than before. "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get,"

'_Did he really say that with a straight face?' _she thought desperately trying not to laugh.

"Now see how I took it was your relationship was like the box. Now you got the coconut which is the horrible times and the weird orange ones which are the bad times. You got the raspberry which are the delish sexy times and peanut butter which are the great romantic ones. Then ya got the mint ones that are the good times and the chocolate coated ones which are in between. Now see that's how I see it. But I like chocolate; I'm not picky now maybe you are. Maybe coconut, orange, mint and raspberry are all not tasty to ya' so maybe you only like two flavors which just leaves you with a lot of uneatable-ness. And if that's the case then you have to ask yourself when standing in the candy isle staring down this box, is it really worth spending all this money on a box that has a bunch of poo-poo and only three or four treats,"

"Right, right," she nodded features twisted in confusion. "What? I see where you're going but it's just not connecting for me,"

"I'm saying that inside the box for me the good outweighs the bad and its worth me forfeiting my money cause out of the thirty pieces there is only maybe six I don't like-reasonable. Now you have to figure out what's your ratio. Is it worth the money, are you gonna be eating more than a couple pieces cause if you're not then you should just pass it on up and find another late night snack,"

"You got all that from a catch phrase from a movie made over fifty years ago?"

"I'm fury, I'm most likely diabetic and I'm deep," taking a quick sip. "We all have our burdens to bear,"

She nodded features still tight as she relaxed into her seat next to him and looked out into the park watching all the children running carelessly around. She had to give it to him he was pretty deep for a guy in flower covered, neon shorts and a Slurpee addiction.

**Day 9 / 10:45 p.m.**

Bo was sitting upright somewhat comfortably on the sofa eyes currently fixed on the television screen watching some horror movie she didn't even remember the name to. And with the way it was going she didn't want to, everything proving up to this point this movie was nothing but soft core porn doused in a lot of gore. She wasn't opposed to porn per say nor was she opposed to a gory movie or two but both together combined with bad acting irritated her to no end.

And had circumstances been different she would have gotten up and turned it off or just left. But she was in Lauren's loft and the blonde had fallen asleep. Two reasons alone enough to refuse leaving even with as bad as the movie was getting. The main reason though that kept her from fleeing was the fact that not more than five minutes ago Lauren had slipped from sitting upright into her lap.

Incredibly, she laid with her head in her lap, arms wrapped tightly around her waist, face nestling into the tight warmth of her stomach. Staring down at her wife in perplexity, while she tried to resist the urge to reach out and smooth few stray hairs off of her forehead so that she could steal a better view.

Instead she bent her knees and lifted her bare feet up onto the coffee table in front of her. Lauren's head fell back slightly with the maneuver, its dead weight now resting heavily on the cradle of her thighs, her sleeping face turned upwards towards hers.

'_Much better,'_ she thought with a faint smile, she could now gaze comfortably to her heart desire.

Giving in to her earlier temptation, she reached out and smoothed the hair off of her wife's forehead. Then she continued to slowly run just the tips of her fingers through her scalp, over and over, first with her left hand then with her right, following the curve of her skull from front to back. It was almost mesmerizing, being able to stroke her like this, to thread her fingers though her soft hair and watch the frown lines on Lauren's brow gradually relax. She felt such an overwhelming love for this woman at that moment. And an equally overwhelming frustration at not being able to express her love the way she wanted.

It wasn't just a matter of rules preventing them, preventing her any long but the fact of not knowing herself completely anymore. Not knowing Lauren completely. What was proper for them anymore, what was normal for them? When they finally fell into the inevitability of their passion for one another how was it to be approached? When was it okay to say they were back together? When was it okay to move back in? When was it okay say baby, babe and I love you? When was it okay to talk about the future?

Lauren's soft murmur broke her from her heaving thoughts. And then another, but this time the succubus made gentle shushing noises ushering her wife back into peacefulness. Sure it was safe again she resumed her all too familiar yet not familiar enough desire to just watch her wife.

It had begun innocent sitting side by side watching some movie which was sadly considered A class now a days. A cleverly deceiving description leading them into believing it would be worth wild. All it was worth was acting as a sleeping pill for Lauren who made it a mere fifteen minutes in before nodding off. Gradually as time wore on and a deeper sleep began to overtake the Queen, her body had stretched out on the comfy couch.

There was such naturalness to it that she hadn't really noticed at first but then slowly she remembered this wasn't normal for them. And the longer it continued the more she found her nerves twisting. Her body wanted to move, wanted to fidget yet she didn't want to ever move afraid this would end.

Sighing she leaned her head back against the cushion using it as a decently comfortable pillow eye fixating on her wife's enchanting features. Hand idly playing in blonde, silky locks waiting for sleep to overtake her the same way it had Lauren.

**Day 13 / 5:56 p.m.**

Bo found herself fuming and the unexplainable heat flashes her body was having was doing nothing to help control her emotions nor to find a rational answer to the argument she had found herself in.

"Why did you even bother giving me this job for if you weren't going to let me do it?"

"I am letting you do it,"

"I said those bodies needed to be autopsied and you over ruled me,"

"They were killed in the riot Bo," Lauren finally looked up from her lap-top that rested on her desk. "You wanted to waste time and money on what?"

"Lauren you are literally in richest person in the world. This city has a crime rate of Disney World. The person you pay to stand around and do nothing all day I'm sure would be thrilled to have work,"

"I said no,"

"They weren't killed by riots it's obvious it's a Fae killing,"

"Some Fae side with humans, some Fae are simply out of control and are just taking this as a time to kill freely,"

"I want an autopsy done!" Bo voice grew as she slammed her hands down on the desk breaking the last straw of Lauren's patience.

"Jesus Bo, I said no!"

"Can't you get off of your high horse for just one fucking second to admit there could be the teny, tiny possibility you might be wrong about something?!"

"Do not swear at me,"

"I'm not swearing at you, if I was I'd be calling you what I'm thinking,"

"Let me guess bitch?" she removed her glasses and tossed them down in one motion. "Or have you been able to come up with something slightly more creative?" she stared her wife down who was now just glaring. 'What noting to say now?"

"I am being an adult and counting to ten,"

"You know you should have added anger management to that list of rules of yours,"

"Don't mention my rules,"

"Excuse me?"

"You hear me don't mention my rules, you're not allowed to,"

"You've lost your mind," shaking her head she picked her glasses back getting ready to go back to work.

"So that's it? Just brush me off,"

"I said no autopsy and that is final. I'm not going to sit here and have an argument that third graders wouldn't,"

"Why'd you even bother giving me this job?"

"Because you wanted one, I gave you what you asked just like I have been. You wanted space I give it. You wanted me to follow your rules which I am not allowed to name—I have. You wanted to have a job I gave you one. I'm not seeing what the problem is,"

"That you just overrule me! Give me a damn job where you can't, give me Denzel or Skylar's job. I have enough experience to get it—in and out of the bedroom,"

"You want a job where I can't overrule you," she leaned back in her chair nostrils flaring the last insult taking one step too far. "Then you should have taken your rightful place by my side instead of running away from responsibility like you always do,"

"Then give it to me now,"

"What? Bo I'm not doing it because you want to be able to have a say in autopsies or be able to overrule Skylar,"

"No," she took a step back a wave of calmness washing over her. "You're right I ran from the responsibility before and if I had taken it then maybe you wouldn't have so much on your shoulders. Maybe it would have been easier on you, on us, on our family,"

"Bo,"

"Lauren we're trying to make this work and you were right, you are doing what I'm asking. You've been taking the steps and maybe I haven't been doing as much as I'd like to think I have. I want to help you and being the Second Assistant Head of Security isn't really helping anyone. I don't know the city or laws and by the time I do it'll be time for me to give birth,"

"This isn't an answer to helping us,"

"Maybe, maybe not but I think it's worth consideration,"

"Bo there are rules and things to learn, actual work that you can't run from when you don't want to do it. Not to mention you would—we would have to have a ceremony,"

"Since when don't you like parties?"

"Ceremony like party and swear you in for the short explanation of things but also it's a remarriage in traditional Fae law. And I can't stand there and renew our marriage just to have some help in the workload department,"

"What if it wasn't just for a cut in the workload?" Bo's voice like her eyes soften even further, a vulnerable undertone to them. "A new marriage for a new life for a new start,"

"Bo this is crazy,"

"When is anything we do not crazy? Lauren we apart and together are flawed, you drive me crazy-insane even. And maybe we aren't okay right now but we're better than we have been in a long time. In some ways we are better than ever because we are being so truthful, because we're talking even if it isn't what we want to hear. All those confessions they hurt, made me angry but it didn't make me want to leave you—I don't think anything could ever make me want to leave you forever. I want to be with you, I want to move forward-I want this. I want all of it because at the end of the day, indiscriminate chocolate eater or not I would still buy the whole box ten times over,"

"Bo I—what?"

"Nothing it's an analogy that I just got it," she shook her head, an embarrassed smile covering her face.

"If this reasonable time frame works then yes it's worth consideration,"

"What is a reasonable time frame because you said ten days and we're nearing fourteen?" she softly chuckled still feeling very vulnerable.

"I think we'll know when the time comes,"

"How?"

"I think we'll feel it and we'll just know,"

"Okay," the succubus nodded slightly an odd feeling of victory and defeat twisting within her stomach.

**Day 17 / 9:22 p.m. **

"You're going to see her," she said quietly, voice low eyes full of concern an expression Lauren had come to know all too well.

"Relax, it will be fine." Lauren ran her hands through her hair trying to appear as if she had not spent a considerably large amount of time on her appearance.

"Things are never fine when the two of you are involved."

"Kenz I'm just going down stairs for drinks—for me, she **will **be having water,"

"Mm-hm. Now it's just down stairs for drinks and in an hour it's a passive aggressive conversation. An hour and a half and it's full on aggression. Two hours you two are nearly at blows. And three hours clothes are ruined along with sheets." Kenzi stepped away from the bathroom entrance allowing Lauren to pass. "Things have a way of getting crazy between the two of you,"

"Things are different now. I mean it's not like an elephant turning into a monkey different but maybe like a caterpillar to a butterfly. Subtle but still enough to qualify for real change,"

"But not enough for you to accept proposal 2.0 or even let her move back in?"

"No—yes—maybe—I don't know," she looked up from the corner of the bed slipping into her heels. "I can't be without her and I don't want to be anymore," her tone dropping to a rarity, almost pleading for her to understand.

"Lauren I better than anyone maybe even better than her know how much you love her but I'm just worried that you two will both backslide into-into the horror part of the Bo and Lauren Saga,"

"Kenz I love you and I know we've been through hell together. You've seen me at levels of pain and self-hatred and so many other things I wish we could forget. You've kept a piece of my humanity alive that others couldn't. I honestly don't know what I would have done without, what I would do without you now but trust me when I say I am okay. I'm okay right now and no matter what happens with Bo I'm not going to slip back into how I was,"

"I know you're speaking chica but all I hear is the Titanic theme song blaring." Kenzi shook her head folding her arms over her stomach. "And not the remake from last year I'm talking about the one from the nineties. Yeah the sad one that made you blubber like a baby,"

"That was a sad song," she let out frowning tussling her hair again. "The bodyguard's was sadder,"

"Yeah but—hey wait a minute," Kenzi spun around glaring at the blonde who had side stepped her. "Don't change the subject," she ordered jogging to catch up with her.

**Day 17 / 9:53 p.m.**

"Hey," Bo smiled somewhat shyly standing up from the couch walking over to greet her wife.

"Hey," returning the smile a sense of relief washing over her seeing the succubus had spent just as much time getting ready. Sure she didn't bother with shoes and her overly sexual dress looked a lot like a teddy but then again it wasn't the first time Bo had used it for double purpose. "You know I think there is some unspoken rule that after so many years of marriage you don't have to get dressed up any more,"

"I'm not the only one who didn't follow that," the succubus' eyes ran over her wife's body for the second time. "What I meant to say was you look amazing,"

"Mm, flattery won't get you anywhere," she was of course was lying as she brushed past her wife going to the couch and taking a seat.

"So new attitude, a proposal, sexy attire, and flattery all don't work?" she made her way next to her wife making sure to unnecessarily walk in front of her rather than around the couch. "What's a girl gotta do to impress you now a days?"

"Good question," she picked up her glass already poured, eyes narrowing at Bo's wine glass.

"It's sprite I just wanted to fancy," she picked it up grinning. "Smell?" she tipped the glass out inviting her to do so.

"Thanks I'm good,"

"Aw is that trust I'm picking up on?"

"No I just know you wouldn't dare try and drink anything alcoholic,"

"I wouldn't dare?" her brow rose, a smirk of amusement.

"Sorry it's-sometimes forget who I'm speaking to. Wait that didn't come out right,"

"It's okay it's kinda sexy when it's not in a serious situation,"

"So stalking and threatening has been added to your list of turn ons, interesting additions,"

"Actually for your information I always found possessive you sexy beyond belief. But yes lately for some reason more so then ever,"

"Always huh?"

"Mm-hm, so much so I'm considering flirting with someone just to see you get all territorial again,"

"That wouldn't be advised," Lauren said through a smile but something in her eyes let Bo know she wasn't kidding.

"So is that something with my coming into ascended-ness or hormones?"

"Um could be part of your transition yes, it does make everything you feel much more intense. Awaken subconscious desires and thoughts. Could be for the fact that you're pregnant and in becoming so you've subconsciously accepted a less dominate role thus further appreciating the dominance that I now possess. Multiple studies have proven most women are attracted to men who display high levels of possession, aggression, dominance, and so on because they are attributes of an alpha male which is designed into DNA to be more appealing,"

"I forgot how adorably sexy it was when you used geekspeak, doctor" Bo giggled sipping her sprite.

"Wow, it's been a long time since anyone had called me doctor," a sad smile pulling at her lips.

"I can imagine I haven't even thought of you as one in a while, I just slipped back into the old days for a minute there. God I make it sound like we're headed for the nursing home yammering on bout the good ol' days,"

"Well we are pretty old,"

"I don't know I think we look pretty good for a couple of eight-some year olds,"

"That we do my love, that we do," Lauren smiled sipping he wine not realizing what she had just called the woman. Something about the night was so familiar, so overtaking that she felt like they were back in the little torn down apartment Bo use to own—or more accurately squat in.

"What are you thinking?" the succubus asked subtly scooting closer, a toothy smile from ear to ear.

"I'm thinking-" Lauren paused stopping her complete train of thought. She was going to say something flirty. She was going to keep on this game of back and forth and see who could seduce the other while enjoying the memories of the past. But what came out was something entirely different. "It's time for you to come back home,"

Bo felt her heart skip a beat as she stared into her wife's eyes thinking she couldn't have heard it right yet praying she did.


	30. Navigating Through Complexities Part 2

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Navigating Through Complexities Part. 2**

**(Of A Reasonable Time Frame)**

**Day 19 / 9:32 a.m. **

"Shit," the succubus mumbled to herself as she stumbled in from the elevator, a backpack in each hand while she kicked a duffel bag across the floor. It would have been just as easy to make two trips but like an eager child she couldn't bear the thought of spending one more moment in **that** apartment when **her** real home was awaiting.

Side stepping the duffel bag she continued on to the bedroom, a new bounce to her step. Tossing the bags onto the mattress she began debating exactly where her stuff was going before she realized everything had been arranged for Lauren and tossing her stuff aside without permission may not have been the best way to start off their new stab at cohabitation.

Shaking her head a twinge of disappointment setting in, after all she had hoped to have everything set up long before Lauren had gotten off but she had waited this long what was another couple of hours.

"Don't you have your own apartment?" her body tensed as she reached the edge of the couch eyes immediately locking on Kenzi who was pouring herself a mug of coffee.

"Nice to see you too,"

"You have an apartment and a full time job, I'm just not understanding why every time I turn around you're in my house,"

"Your house," her smirk covered by the edge of the mug as she took a drink. "That's right I forgot she allowed you to move back in,"

"It was a joint decision,"

"Really? Because she told me that she made the decision,"

"I'm sorry why are you here?"

"Relax Cujo, you need to get laid," she snorted walking down the few steps into the living room. "If you like I could talk to Lauren about that. Get her to ease up on the rules,"

"That one is actually mine," Bo maneuvered herself out from behind the couch and took a seat on the arm, her arms folded over her chest, a glare growing as Kenzi continued to chuckle. "What's funny about that?"

"Just that now you're supposed to be eating for three and you decide to learn self-control-always ass backwards with you,"

"I've always had self-control,"

"Really?" her eyes widened, smirk growing. "Should we mention your last vacation?"

"You know what Kenz," she stood up letting her arms drop to her sides. "You're not my wife and you're not my child so I can say this without any guilt. Get the fuck over it,"

"Excuse me?" her words came out as a choke nearly spitting her mouth full of coffee back into the mug.

"You heard me, get the fuck over it already. I fucked up and I admitted it, I've apologized so much it doesn't even sound genuine now. I've asked for forgiveness, I've begged for it and now I'm done,"

"Just like that,"

"Just like that?" Bo rolled her eyes snorting to herself unable to believe the gull of the woman standing in front of her. "Yeah Kenz, just like that,"

"After ten years of fucking up you think a few weeks should make up for it? Same ol' Bo,"

"To you-yeah I think we're pretty even now considering,"

"Considering what?"

"Considering between us I wasn't the only one doing the betraying,"

"I think I'ma take a page from your book Bo," pausing she turned reaching over and up to place her mug on the kitchen island before turning back to the succubus with a cool, masked anger grin. "Get the fuck over it," grin turning to a smirk that would have made the succubus slap it off had it come from anyone else.

"You know you said something to me a while ago," the woman came to a stop not so much at the words but at having to wait for the elevator. "You said we were still family just not friends at the moment," Kenzi moved into the elevator but turned to face the woman, a certain curiosity to her look. "Right now—we aren't even family,"

* * *

**Day 19 / 11:45 a.m.**

"So is that okay with you?" Lauren asked softly her eyes continuously shifting down to her desk rather than the blonde standing in front of her.

"Yes my Queen,"

"And you have no objections?"

"No my Queen,"

"Skylar," her sigh heavy with guilt.

"Yes my Queen?"

"Sky it's just us here you don't need to be so proper,"

"Then may I make a request," her response only a nod. "That you call me by my name or my title, it is of course your right as my Queen to call me as you please but I would humbly request that small favor,"

"Skylar it doesn't have to be this way,"

"I'm sorry I do not quite understand what you mean my Queen,"

"How about you speak to me as someone you've seen naked, someone you've trusted and shared things with. Speak to me like—"

"You're something more than my Queen?" Skylar looked from the wall down to Lauren for the first time, yet still stood at attention.

"Yes,"

"You aren't though,"

"W-what?" Lauren tried to keep her features somewhat neutral not wanting to admit just how much those three words had hurt.

"Permission to speak freely?" this time she didn't wait for a response. "You are my Queen and you have the right to do whatever it is you want with me. That is the cold, hard truth and you did. You played me, you used me, you broke my heart-it is what it is. I can't do anything about it—I can't even react like a normal person because you are the Queen and the person who you not only cheated on me with but left me for is your wife and from what I hear will soon be near your level. I don't wanna try and be friends because we aren't, I can't trust you with personal things-you proved that. You aren't going to come back to me-there isn't a chance for us so there is no point in me trying to remain friendly hoping we can work it out. I'm glad you get your happy ending Lauren but I didn't, my ending got run over by a million tractors before thrown in the blender for a year or two. My ending is fucked, my life is fucked, my reputation is fucked, I'm fucked-so no Lauren I don't want to stand here and pretend I mean anything to you. I don't want your pity because you suddenly grew a conscious and feel guilty,"

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," Lauren swallowed the basketball sized lump in her throat. "What did you mean about your reputation?"

"I'm girl who spread her legs and dropped to her knees to get to the top. I'm the girl who was played like a fiddle while everyone but me saw it. I'm the badass who got beat down so bad multiple feedings couldn't even repair all the damage. I'm the girl who wasn't good enough at anything to win against an immature child who runs every chance she gets. I'm the girl who now gets the job because she's pitied. This is who I am now,"

"None of that is true, you got the job because you were the best suited,"

"Mm-hm," her jaw clenched and eyes locked with Lauren's. "Best suited to fuck you-and from what I heard I didn't even do that too good,"

"Skylar I don't know who is tell you these things but—"

"I don't need a pep talk coach. I own my decisions that the thing about being an adult—you own up to your shit. I knew all this off the jump so it's cool,"

"Then-"

"Then why'd I do it?" she tilted her head with a snort. "Cause I thought you were worth it,"

* * *

**Day 19 / 4:45 p.m.**

"What are you doing in here?" Lauren asked leaning against the door frame looking in at Kenzi who sat at her desk covered in mountains of folders.

"Where else would I be?" not bothering to look up.

"Upstairs," she smiled replying as if it was the dumbest question in the world.

"Your new-old roommate wasn't too keen on the idea since **someone** told her about you and me,"

"I'm sorry,"

"For making things between me and her worse or for telling her about us without even letting me know? Or is it sorry for changing everything without a consideration for anyone else's feelings?" Lauren stayed quite as she walked into the office pulling the door shut behind herself deciding this wasn't a conversation that needed to be over heard. "Or sorry about the complication that was us?"

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before I made a decision that wasn't my secret alone. I'm sorry that I pushed you two further apart when things were finally calming down. I'm sorry that I am a big, inconsiderate asshole who hurts someone everyday so effortlessly because it's just a second nature to me. But I'm not sorry about us Kenzi,"

"What?" Kenzi looked up almost shocked at the reply.

"I'm sorry it hurt Bo and I'm sorry we did it behind Skylar's back. I'm sorry it's made things so complicated and I'm sorry she can't understand it or understand the feeling behind it. It may have been wrong but you were what got me thorough so many rough times and I think I did the same for you,"

"Yeah," her voice dropped an added softness to her features.

"Bo thinks that the attitude and coldness toward her is because you want me the way she does-she doesn't understand the bond. She doesn't understand you're afraid that now you think you're going to be alone,"

"I could want you like that. I could-you don't know what I feel," she stood hands on her hips.

"I know you and I know you think that now me and Bo are trying to work things out you think that we won't be close anymore. You think that because of this, because of Bo knowing you two will never work things out. It's not true though,"

"Yeah," plopping back down in her chair in defeate.

"Sean is always going to need his aunt; these twins are always going to need their aunt. Bo is going to need her sister and I'm going to need my best friend-I need my best friend,"

"I don't want to be alone," she whispered out slowly looking up to Lauren with teary eyes.

* * *

**Day 23 / 9:26 p.m.**

Bo stared at the mirror adding another three strokes of mascara to each lash, and then picked up the lip liner from the side of the sink. She wasn't one normally for using lip liner or even putting on such heavy makeup as of lately but considering this was an event where Dark Elders were going to be she had to suck it up. Peeking her head out into the room, eyes finding the clock. A sigh of frustration at the realization she only had four minutes before she had to be completely ready.

Staring in the mirror at her reflection, and shook her head in a rare, brief moment of self-consciousness. She couldn't explain the continuous feelings of self-doubt that seemed to loom over her every waking moment over the past couple of months. No matter how fancy or sexy the clothes, or how much makeup and time spent on her hair she never felt as though she was just right.

She bounced the blame between being pregnant and the lack of sex.

"Ready?" she heard Lauren's faint voice calling out to her.

"Yeah," she answered coming out of the bathroom, looking at the floor as she poked one earring through the hole and then the other. Sighing she slipped into her heels at the bottom, corner of the bed. "Hope you have a stack of ones," she let out just loud enough for her wife to hear. "Feel like a high end prostitute," her words grew softer as she shuffled over to the mirror giving herself another once over still not feeling comfortable. "Maybe just quarters," she grumbled to herself walking out toward the living room where her wife awaits.

'_Wow,' _she thought eyes getting their first glimpse of the blonde since early this morning. She looked gorgeous as ever, yet slightly surprising. The dress was nothing really spectacular in fact Bo was sure Lauren had stockpiled the same dress for these occasions. Strapless,** low** cut, curve hugging, small slit up the side. Sexy, eye grabbing but nothing over the top—what was different though was the fact that it is wasn't Lauren's comfort zone of black or dark blue but a sultry red with black heels to top it off. And while her makeup wasn't as dark as Bo's after all her complexion prevented it—it was still far more than one was used to seeing her in.

"You look amazing," Bo smiled. '_Understatement of the century,'_ amazing would normally be the highest of complements but here it was simply inadequate. Ravishing, sultry, sexy, breath taking, beautiful-she could have read the dictionary from front to back and still not been able to adequately describe just how good her wife looked.

Lauren's gaze was forced from CNN to her wife the words 'Thank you' set to come out yet the moment her eyes found the succubus she had lost all thoughts that were under R rated. She always knew Bo to be a breath taking sight and with the bill she got this afternoon for her wife's shopping spree she knew it would be good but this was far beyond what she imagined.

She wore a slip dress of some kind of flowing fabric that yet smothered every single curve of her body. It was black as one would expect but it wasn't flat nor was it glittery no it found itself somewhere in the middle near the perfection of a red carpet. The hem rose three inches above her knees with an inch slit up the left leg. A teasing invitation to what was hidden just inches higher. It was strapless and overall low cut as it was, yet in the middle there was a V shaped cleavage accentuater, the tip of the V ending just at the start of her stomach. The curves and sides of her breasts on display yet it was still completely classy.

Her hair hung loosely tickling her shoulders yet framed her face perfectly and while her makeup was darker and heavier than normal it highlighted every, single feature perfectly. Along with her wedding ring she wore a thin gold and diamond bracelet and mimicking her wife, a gift from Sean to fit in-she wore a crucifix that did nothing other than draw further attention to said area. Had Bo not been being accompanied by herself tonight the succubus wouldn't have been allowed to leave the bedroom.

The longer the silence the more uncomfortable she felt under the blonde's intense stare but the darkness in her eyes, the burning of her aura mixed with the sound of her racing heart she found it to be a pleasant discomfort.

"I'm speechless," Lauren said through a smile.

"Hopefully in a good way,"

"In a great way,"

"Well then," she smiled starting to walk past Lauren toward the elevator. "Maybe I can be upgraded back to dollars," she chuckled to herself.

"There isn't enough money in the world," Lauren whispered coming up behind her wife, hands sliding to her sides. It was simple and cheesy—maybe even a half assed comment but it was enough to bring a smile to the succubus' lips and pinkness to her cheeks.

* * *

**Day 23 / 10:02 p.m.**

Following the small, lanky man to their table even in the cover of darkness the ambiance provided Lauren couldn't help but notice how many people stopped to take notice of her wife. A strange mixture of pride and possession swirled deep within her.

'_Let them look_,' she thought after all she did belong to her and no one would be stupid enough to challenge it.

Sliding into their seats she couldn't help but look around, a habit she never learned to let go of. It by all accounts was a rich man's Black Orchid with an exclusive invitation list. A place with the capacity of four hundred people only held a hundred not including the small staff. Six chiefs, ten waiters, two bouncers and seven dancers. Not that she would ever admit it but if she had to choose between the Light Elders and here-here won every time. Everything about the place screamed expensive, lavish, high class and while she refused to admit it she had taken to the life.

"Everything is good,"

"Been here a lot have you," Bo's brow rose as she picked up a menu. "Thought you weren't supposed to have favorite sides?"

"I'm not-I don't,"

"Jesus!" Bo's eyes widened. "Two-hundred dollars for A lobster, is it a famous lobster? Is it the lobster from Little Mermaid? And look at this Pork dishes starting at a hundred-that pork better be coming from Babe,"

"It's high end,"

"It's highway robbery,"

"Six hundred dollars for wine? "

"Bo," Lauren's eyebrow rose a gentle scowl coming from her. "This is a very high end place, only the top percentile of Dark Fae are allowed,"

"I can see why,"

"You aren't paying for it,"

"I'm supposed to believe that with prices like this they're just not gonna charge us?"

"No of course not," Lauren leaned back in her chair, setting her menu down. "The Elders will fight over who pays for us,"

"Oh-yeah that makes sense,"

"Whoever can afford to pay for the Queen shows their alpha status—no different than tribes giving their best livestock or throwing the biggest feast. Every hierarchy has their scale of judgment of success. Not to mention I throw them a bone every now and then,"

"So you take bribes now?"

"It's not bribes it's how the world works and if they ever step over the line I don't care if they buy me the restaurant I do what is best,"

"Well excuse me," the succubus laughed out.

"Your order my Queen?" the waiter seemed to appear out of nowhere. His smile growing as he took the order each item more expensive then the last. The most expensive steak and wine for Lauren while the most expensive chicken and water went to Bo. Two shared apprizes that probably wouldn't be touched.

"I never realized you had such expensive taste, I don't know if my bank account can afford you,"

"I assure you it can,"

"Really now,"

"Mm-hm, I check the balances daily,"

"We must be looking at different accounts because last time I checked mine it had sixteen cents,"

"You must be looking at the wrong one,"

"I doubt it," realizing the conversation was taking a weird tone she forced a smile and looked around the place. "So have you taken all of your dates here,"

"No-not all," she couldn't help but laugh at the irritated look that washed over Bo's features. "None,"

"Sorry if I'm not completely convinced after that,"

"Why is it so hard to believe?"

"I don't know," Bo's lips fixed in a pout.

Their food began to appear a short time later, Cesar salads large enough to be the entree. Soft slices of French bread still warm from the oven. Calamari which Bo refused to touch and then finally their dishes.

It was a strange new ground for them to be out in the world on a date. Bo was use to these with random people yet this seemed to be so difficult. She had lived what she thought was lavishly yet on her best day it never came close to this. She had taken her run at models and athletes but now she found herself out with a Queen—the Queen. She knew it was beyond ridiculous Lauren had been Queen for years now and in that time they had gone out, fought, made up, made love more times the she could count so why tonight was different, she didn't know. She was suddenly very aware of just who and what Lauren was. For just as much excitement she shared a strange sorrow.

Things were so different, they were so different.

"This is good," she commented, as she sipped from her glass of Chardonnay, which was dry, crisp and chilled to perfection. "We'll have to come back after you've given birth,"

"Can't wait," her tone was borderline sarcastic, but the smile she gave her was warm and inviting.

Before Bo could continue the sound of a man's voice cut through the air. Turning slightly in her chair to see behind herself. In the back there was a large raised level with one long table where fourteen people all dressed in an array of black and red, the selection of her wife no making more sense. She could make out how many there were, weather male or female but any real definition of their features were unable to be seen. The speaking continued and he must have been funny or at least charming with the way laughter filled the room and a smile stayed on Lauren's lips but she wouldn't have known for sure considering he spoke only in Latin.

"Stand up," Lauren whispered as she realized now everyone was looking directly at her.

Obliging her wife she stood nervously as everyone continued to look on and applaud. It was merely a couple of moments but it had felt like forever before her wife had given her the jester to sit. It was another few minutes of speaking before his voice died out. She had turned back to Lauren expecting to get answers what it was all about only to find her standing, hand extending out toward her. Not knowing what else to do she took the blonde's hand and let her guide her out on to the currently unoccupied dance floor.

A soft violin with acoustic guitar melody started to fill the room, the two instruments shouldn't have gone together in her mind yet now in the background it was somewhat seductive. Bo couldn't help but feel awkward under the watchful eyes of the group. Lauren's arm maneuvered around her waist and the fingers of their other hands intertwined, the familiar contact caused her to relax to a degree.

"I have to lead," Lauren whispered.

"Of course," Bo let her eyes close and moved in closer to her wife's body. Breaking her hand free she let it drop till her hands were intertwined at the small of Lauren's back. "What's this about," she asked as she let her head rest against her wife's, lips hovering over her ear.

"Welcoming you home,"

"Hm?"

"Word has spread that we might be marrying traditionally and that means,"

"They need to suck up to me as well,"

"Yes,"

"So who's been spreading this word?" Bo pulled back eyes locking with Lauren's.

"Everyone, no one-me,"

"You?"

"Maybe,"

"Maybe?"

"Yes -maybe,"

Bo just smiled to herself for the first time tonight feeling completely relaxed. A glimmer of hope that things were continuing to improve between them. This was a new life she was unsure of but then again they wanted a new start, that was what they were fighting for—so maybe she could get use to this.

* * *

**Day 27 / 11:27 p.m. **

The warmth radiated off of her skin, the dampness of her hair only amplified the sweet fragrance of her shampoo. Startled at herself she slowly removed her lips from Lauren's, their eyes fluttering open together. The two remaining silent.

It had all happened so fast, one moment Lauren had walked out of the bathroom talking about some meeting she had to deal with tomorrow and the next moment Bo had maneuvered herself across the bed till she was sitting on her knees, hands on Lauren's hips while her lips had captured hers.

Though her lips removed themselves her hands kept firm as she waited to see what Lauren would do.

_'Was she angry? Was she disappointed? Did she like it? Did she want to stop?' _

Bo of course wanted to do it again, she hadn't even realized just how much until the impromptu kiss. But she couldn't shake the feelings of uncertainty that she had been wrong, that she had finally made the step that was going to send them back to how things were. Waiting silently and seemingly patiently her eyes drifted from Lauren's, down her exquisite features helplessly pausing at her lips. A lingering glance before her eyes continued their downward journey stopping at her exposed collar bone, skin still slightly glistening from the reminiscence of her previous activity.

Lauren should have said something. She should have moved away, show her disapproval, or simply dismiss it as a temporary lapse in judgment that they would shrug off. Yet silence still swallowed them only the sound of heartbeats and heavy breaths to keep them company. She really should have said something by now. Or should have moved away. Given a scolding or laughed it off yet she hadn't. And with each passing moment Bo began to wonder if it was permission, began to wonder if the ball had been back in her court and she just hadn't realized it.

_'Only one way to know,'_ she thought to herself ignoring the drumbeat of her heart filling her ears.

Leaning in closer, lips parting slightly placing a kiss over her collarbone and then another just to the right of where the first one had been. Waiting only a moment she placed a third, this one higher then the last. A soft whimper of pleasure forced it's way from Lauren, something so simple and so familiar yet this little whimper nearly made the succubus lose control. The succubus in her wanted to take what was hers, show dominance—it had been far to long since the last time. The wife in her agreed in a much tamer sense but none the less agreed. While the woman inside of her wanted it just as bad, more in some ways though she wanted this to be long—slow-to show dominance through tentativeness, through affection and through love. Maybe those sentiments weren't so much the woman but the growing mother inside-—maybe they were one in the same.

Working her way forward her lips parted further, each kiss longer then the last. Every kiss leaving her hungrier then the last.

"Bo," it was a breathless and hungry whisper, meant for nothing other then to feed the succubus' ego. Before her wife Lauren wasn't one to make noise, or really even speak during sexual escapades even when they had started she desperately tried to keep that as a rule. She had always thought she sounded stupid, sounded anything but sexy. That was until she discovered the effect it had on Bo. The more the woman heard her, heard her name being called out the more it spurred her on. The more it intensified things—and now it was just a second nature.

She was lost. Where had her voice of reason gone? Somewhere very far away because at the moment she could only hear the rushing sound of her blood, the racing heartbeats of not only herself but her lover. The soft moans that escaped not only herself but her wife as well. Vaguely she felt guilty, felt the need to stop—they had been rushing back into this when they swore they wouldn't but just as quick as those thoughts plagued her, Bo's lips had reached her throat and the thoughts vanished.

Her skin had already been flushed and sensitive from the steamy water she had soaked under for thirty minutes and now with each touch of her wife's lips she felt like she was on fire. Each lingering kiss sending a shock wave of pleasure through her body only adding to a building pressure in the pit of her stomach. The increasing pressure of the woman's lips, the feel of her soft skin on her own, the constant teasing of small, warm breaths taking the place of lips whenever the woman moved. Tentative, hungry nibbles followed by the hot stroke of Bo's tongue was finally too much.

She couldn't simply stand there like a statue and let things play out hoping for a result without doing anything. She had to decide whether to put a stop to this here and now or to give into her building desire.

Hand on each side of Bo's face she forced her head up, a moan of displeasure escaping the succubus. The blonde let her body lean forward using her wife's body to keep her up battling the weakness in her knees. Looking deep in Bo's dark eyes she kept her hands just firm enough to stop the woman from returning to her previous activity. She couldn't help but wonder if it was too soon, if they needed to stop. Yet a much larger part of herself couldn't help thinking about how much more intense and delicious it would be if she removed her clothes and let the succubus have free range.

The tingling and occasional twinge of pain she felt in the pit of her stomach screamed at the thought of taking the 'leash' off of her wife. She couldn't help but think about just how swollen and hot she would be by the time Bo worked her way down, how wet and ready she'd be for her-she was already there if she was going to be honest. She ached to new levels knowing it could only be soothed by one thing but was it right? Was it time?

"Lauren," she was near drunk on the sweetness of the blonde's skin. She wanted to be rid of the peskiness of her clothes so that her lips and tongue could taste **ALL** of her. Every little noise, conscious or not that Lauren made only furthered her excitement, urging her on-begging her.

They had drifted into the deep end of the pool without life jackets. She hadn't planed this in fact she was semi interested in what Lauren had been speaking about yet her body once again had a mind of it's own. And now here they were—here she was drowning in hormones and physical pleasure which was sweeping her away at a dizzying speed.

"Lauren I'm sorry," she lied she wasn't sorry but it was seemingly the right think to say.

"No you're not,"

"Yes I am," she let out slightly offended.

"I know you're not," Lauren let her hands drop from her wife's face letting them fall to her hips.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because," she took a pause leaning closer, knees digging into the edge of the mattress. "I'm not,"

Bo's lips parted to speak but never got the chance as she was silenced by her wife's. Skillfully maneuvering herself onto the bed and forcing the succubus onto her back all in one motion.


	31. One Of These Mornings

A.N. Hey guys here we are entering the third and final part. Sorry bout the two week break been getting ready for school. The last five to six updates will be more frequent with no break but they won't be every day. Just because I want to do this ending right and a lot of work and details from past stories are going to have to be refound and incorporated.

I want to genuinely thank everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, follows and sends messages. You guys are amazing.

A special thanks to Neytiri's Heart who helped me out last night and gave me the push to plunge into deeper somewhat unexplored waters with the first scene in this chap.

This chap all but the last scene is HEAVY M RATING for EXPLICTIT description of a sexual encounter. If it's not your cup of tea jump to the very last scene that does have story importance.

Thank you all again.

Pokie

* * *

**Part Three: The Retribution Of The Fallen**

**Chapter Thirty: One Of These Mornings**

**3 Months Later**

Bo stared at herself in the oversized mirror over her dresser, a certain displeasure written over her as she practically ripped the cross from her neck and threw it down onto the dresser. Reaching up she pulled her hair into a lazy ponytail, just enough of an effort to get it off of her neck.

"What?" she asked seeing the near glare she was earning from her wife who had been emerging from the bathroom.

"What?"

"Nothing. You just have that disapproving look,"

"No, no," she shook her head features still semi frowned.

"Didn't realize you had become so religious," Bo smirked looking from the discarded jewelry back to her wife.

"You know I'm not but it's called reverence—respect,"

"So because I don't remove it and place it down as if it would shatter, I don't have respect?" her brow rose the unexplainable seriousness of their undertone quickly working it's way to the surface. "I'm not devout, I don't pray or go to church or feel the desire to wear crosses. It's just not me but I DO have enough respect for the Man or the idea or whatever-**and** myself to not parade around with it as if I do. I get I have to wear it out to certain places and all that Fae/Human relation bullshit-which is failing by the way. But when I'm done being Jo-Jo the dancing money, I'm done with it,"

"Okay,"

"I'm not you," she clenched her jaw turning back toward the mirror, eyes adverting from her reflection.

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning you haven't gone to church a day in your life, haven't prayed as far as I know and aren't any religion either yet you keep that on day in and day out like you are. Part of your work uniform that you just keep on yet you stand on your royal soap box scolding me about having reverence or respect-as far as I see, I have a little more on the subject then you,"

"Well tell me how you really feel," Lauren snorted it off as she slid onto the bed. "No really Bo tell me how you're feeling,"

"I feel fine,"

"Is that why you're hiding over there?"

"Don't be crazy,"

"You've put your hair in and out of a ponytail five times already just to avoid coming to bed with me," she kicked the heavy quilt and then the sheet back down the bed.

"You **were** flirting with Derek tonight,"

"What?" she looked up wide eyed, the question coming out in a laugh. "Oh. You are serious,"

"Yeah I am," the succubus spun around leaning against the dresser, features fixed in a pout, her arms folding over her stomach.

"I wasn't being any friendlier with him tonight than any other night,"

"That's supposed to comfort me?"

"Bo most of the conversation centered around you, and the upcoming ceremony,"

"Mm-hm,"

"You were right there,"

"I know. Exactly why I can say for sure that you were flirting,"

"I think you are mistaken," she pulled her glasses off placing them on the nightstand.

"So what, you don't think I know anything now?"

"What?" Lauren's left eyebrow rose, nostrils flaring as she fought her first instinct to ask what the hell was wrong with the woman. Taking a deep breath and then another she slid back off of the mattress.

"Great to know what you think of me. I have no respect for anything and I don't know what I see right in front of my own eyes. To you I'm just some crazy person,"

"No," she tried to hold in a chuckle as she shuffled over to her wife who was giving her the best 'fuck off' look she had ever seen. "I think you are my amazing wife who is very pregnant and slightly—" she paused realizing calling Bo hormonal may not have been the best choice of wording. "Slightly worked up about a misunderstanding babe,"

"Hm,"

"You're all I want," leaning forward she pressed her lips ever so softly upon Bo's tight, unyielding lips. Pulling back slightly she saw no change in her wife's expression. "All I need," again. "All I desire," again. "The only one I love," this time when she leaned back in she traced the succubus' pouty lips with the tip of her tongue until they parted. Moaning slightly to herself she reached out grabbing her wife by the hips, leaning in closer.

"Lauren," the succubus moaned out in between a brief second their lips parted. All too quickly traitorous desire pounded fiercely through her body. She ached to have Lauren's skillful hands roam her body-and mouth-and tongue. She ached to have her soothe her doubt, her fears, her insecurities. She needed to lose herself in their uncontrollable passion, needed to be reminded she **belonged** to Lauren.

With each passing day of the pregnancy she found herself becoming far less dominant, and she didn't mind it one bit. She had moments of clarity when she knew she had acted crazily, over jealous or angry for no reason. Crazy demands or outbursts but most times she wanted what she wanted and was completely unapologetic about it. She wanted her wife to herself and if she ever doubted who belonged to who, she wanted to be reminded very **quickly**.

"Lauren," another moan escaping as she desperately kissed along a tensed jaw, her cheek, her temple while her hands finally dropped from her stomach and went up into free flowing, dampened locks. Returning back to her mouth, her need-her desperation pounded her body relentlessly. Every kiss exchanged only fanned her lust like a wind to a wildfire on the driest of days.

Lauren could feel the frenzy that was overtaking her wife's body at an alarming rate. She had only intended to smooth the situation over yet now she found herself between a rock and a wet place-a very wet place. Not to say she didn't want this but she had wanted to comfort Bo without this seemingly inevitable part. Though her subtle hesitation only seemed to inflame the succubus further.

Short nails dug lightly into her scalp as fistfuls of hair were being grabbed, all the while Bo panted and sucked against her neck. When she bit down, digging descended K9's into her flesh the blonde had to bite her bottom lip to refrain from letting out a scream of pleasure.

She could feel her eyes rolling back in her head as she grabbed Bo's hips so tight she knew there'd be bruises, and by the weird stickiness she felt, probably small cuts as well. Her knees weakened by the second only making her grab her wife harder, lean into her further. Her entire body was on fire, burning from every inch. The tightness in the pit of her stomach growing to nearly unbearable levels. The taste of her own blood filling her mouth as she continued to bite down to keep from screaming out.

Something Bo wasn't pleased with, nor did she allow for very long.

The succubus pulled back licking the marks with the tip of her tongue till the area was fresh and clean, two small marks already healing. Smirking to herself she kissed the area once, twice, three times. Her right hand falling from her wife's hair dragging fingertips down the curve of her back until sliding under the waistband of her shorts. Smirk growing to a smile finding Lauren hadn't had anything other than shorts on.

_'Good girl,' _she thought sliding down just a bit more till she was in ample position. Grabbing her wife's ass tightly pulling her to herself till they were as close as possible, and still she wanted more. Her left hand relaxed from a fist but forced the blonde to tilt her head further to the side.

"Stop that," her order masked in a whisper as the tip of her tongue brushed over the blonde's already healed lip. "I mean it," tilting her own head back down she opened her mouth wider than before. Not bothering with teasing this time, the points easily cut through flesh. Her mouth once again filling with the sweet, warm, intoxicating nectar.

It was a long couple of moments before Bo had gained enough control back to realize the most she had earned from Lauren was a couple of hidden moans and whimpers. Pulling back this time not bothering the clean the area, or make sure the marks were closing she looked into her wife's desire filled eyes.

"I **told **you to **stop** that," there was supposed to be a playful undertone somewhere in her words but buried deep beneath desire and frustration it went unheard.

"I know," Lauren's reply however was just as desire filled yet the teasing nature was still evident. Smirking seductively she leaned in lips hovering over the succubus' ear, warm breath tickling heated skin. "It's going to take more than that to get me to scream your name,"

Smiling to herself she stayed still letting the words sink in. She had learned quickly how to handle Bo's array of pregnancy moods. When to let her yell and have a fit. Which fits required sweet talking. Which fits required banter that would eventually die out. And which fits required passion. She was a jealous woman by nature, territorial even more so after she had returned from her ten year sabbatical but now with the pregnancy she had grown to new levels. Though in honesty Lauren liked it in a strange way, and liked even more that her wife couldn't stand other people touching her, a somewhat new development they had discovered.

Pulling herself back she kept a hold of Bo's hips, pulling her back with herself until reaching the mattress. Spinning them around she pushed her wife on the bed, finally releasing her grip she ripped her wife's shorts downward till they were free from her body.

'_Less work for me,' _she thought unable to keep from giggling to herself at the predictability of her wife being nude under her shorts. Other than admiring the view she was waiting to see just what tone tonight would be. What speed Bo wanted this to move at.

Her brow raised as the succubus sat up just enough to pull her own shirt off before falling back onto the bed glaring up. Testing the waters she bent down slightly, fingertips lightly and idly moving over the insides of thighs.

"Don't fuck with me," Bo's head rose back off the mattress, eyes locking with Lauren's. "Fuck me,"

Lauren smirked, her question quickly answered. Bo may have been barking loud at the moment but she wanted to be dominated, be owned and while Lauren wasn't quite at that level of desire she would get there.

"Or," she teased smirk still plaguing her lips. Waiting for the exact moment when she thought Bo was going to speak, and when it arrived she flipped the woman onto her belly. "Nothing to say, hm?"

Bo hungrily felt her anticipation bubbling as she writhed on the bed. Each movement against the soft sheets felt like a caress against the tips of her breasts, the tense muscles of her stomach, and smooth, damp flesh of her thighs. She wanted to talk back to her wife, say something smartassed but her mind just couldn't seem to work right.

Lauren trailed her lips across Bo's back and the curve of her neck. Each tender kiss earning a muffled moan. But tenderness only had a small role in what Bo was looking for tonight so tender kisses became sharp nips. With each graze of teeth against her skin Bo's body jolted up, arching each time. And with how Lauren straddled her, each arch caused the succubus' tight bottom to rub again the blonde's heated center. Each arch earning muffled moans of sinful pleasure.

Lauren reached under her wife and cupped both breasts whiles she nibbled on her delicately inviting neck. The succubus was so hot that she felt as if her skin was scalding, blood boiling. When she pinched both of her rosy nipples, and bit down on her neck Bo couldn't help but to cry out her wife's name in a great, gasping heave into the bunching sheet.

The blonde could already smell the sweet, heavy scent of the succubus' arousal and as always, it worked her like a drug. She could be in a room full of women and still pick out Bo's scent effortlessly even before her new abilities kicked in-not that she would ever admit that too her wife, especially now. To know it: the smell and the taste, but not be able to touch the source for all those years was pure torture.

But now to have the same source moan her name over and over again was pure ecstasy in itself.

Shaking the displeasing memories from her mind she sat up taking in the sight. They had toyed with this position many times over the years yet never dared to go for one reason or another. And even now Lauren's first thought was to flip her wife back over but she fought the urge and the longer she did the more she felt her curiosity like her excitement grow.

The secret desire, secret urge to touch every heavenly inch of her was so strong, but the need to taste her was stronger. She trailed her mouth down the curve of Bo's spine until she reached the small of her back, hands sliding under her hips lifting her up until she was resting on her knees.

Completely at her mercy.

She first bit one ripe cheek and then the other, delighting in soft cries of pleasure and pain. Then she soothed each bite with her tongue and wet, opened mouth kisses.

Running her tongue down the cleft between her tight, rounded flesh, she briefly tasted the small, sweet opening. Still holding her with her hands against the sides of her stomach, Lauren used the tip of her tongue to spread the luscious lips before driving her tongue deep into her from behind.

Bo's body couldn't help but be wrecked with tremors. Her body felt so tight and achy, she wanted to cum immediately yet she also wanted to prolong it for as long as possible. Lauren's mouth felt so good, better than ever in fact for an unexplainable reason. Lauren's tongue probed and licked her while long, skillful fingers gently teased and rubbed her clit.

The mind blowing, delicious torture shifted between licks and sucks repeatedly bring her to edge before backing off just enough to keep her from sweet release. Grabbing fistfuls of sheets she rocked her body against her wife needing more and more contact.

She was sure this would be considered force feeding but if Lauren wasn't stopping her she saw no problem with it.

Drawing her mouth away from her desired pool of sweetness, Lauren replaced it with her hand. Her fingers entered Bo's body twisting in and out while her other hand finally moved from her clit going up the woman's trembling body. Resting on the curve of her hip helping her stay up knowing the succubus' knees were due to give out any minute now.

Her breath audibly hitching as her body awaited the sweet release it was promised. Her toes curled, nails digging into her palms even through the sheets. Her head pressed harder against the mattress, knees threatening to buckle. She could feel every muscle in her body contract, she could even painfully feel herself contract around Lauren's fingers that were buried deep within her.

The sound of Lauren's name filling the room over and over only drowned out only by breathless pants. Her knees giving out the moment her control did yet her wife's hold kept her up and in place.

After several moments the blissful cloud began to clear and muscles began to regain strength. Taking a deep breath she propped herself up on her elbows and began to move forward her body betraying her yet again. Another moan escaping her as she felt Lauren's fingers slipping form her body.

Maneuvering herself onto her back, propping herself up on her elbows she just looked at her wife who was pulling her shirt from her body. A welcomed sight to highlight her body's delight yet with every heartbeat the self-conscious doubts that had plagued the woman over the past months began creeping back in.

A voice in the back of her mind telling her she had cum too fast. Asking why Lauren hadn't wanted to taste her as she came for the first time in months. Telling her she wasn't pleasing Lauren any more, wasn't even pleasing to look at.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind she looked up at her wife who was smiling inquisitively down at her.

"What are you thinking?" she asked even though afraid of the answer.

"How beautiful you are," the blonde let her fingertips idly run over Bo's tiny, growing bump ignoring the tenseness it earned. "How gorgeous you are,"

"And huge,"

"You are hardly showing babe,"

"Hardly is still showing—and the feel," Bo didn't push her wife's hands away she knew better but instead let her head turn to the side, eyes looking at the closed blinds.

"It protects the baby, it feels like muscle nothing more,"

"Yeah,"

"It does," she let her hands lay flat on the tiny bump. She may have been trying to comfort her wife but she wasn't lying. Bo was showing surprisingly little, especially for carrying twins. "Just like extra muscle," her fingers gently tapped the area. Again she wasn't lying.

As part of being a half ascended succubus things in her body changed they knew that and expected little things to show as they grew together as a couple. What they didn't expect was how her body chose to protect itself during pregnancy. As she grew so did her muscles and bones until her stomach was protected by a tight, hard, unseen shell. And as she grew bigger so did it. Lauren couldn't have been happier about it, it provided a good amount of protection and felt like nothing unusual. Bo on the other hand for some reason felt irrationally self-conscious about it.

"Right,"

"You know after you cum you're supposed to be a bit more happy otherwise it does a number on my ego," Lauren's smile quickly faded seeing Bo's features tighten or at lest what she could see of them. "I love you-I love our babies," leaning down she placed a soft kiss to her belly button. "You are still the sexiest woman I have ever laid my eyes on,"

"Yeah,"

"You don't love me?"

"You know I do,"

"You don't love our babies?"

"You know I do,"

"You don't find me sexy?"

"Lauren," she huffed finally turning her head to look back up at the blonde who was now leaning down hovering over her.

"You are my love, my life, my soul-you are beautiful Bo," the succubus chose not to speak but instead grab her wife by her hips and flip them over, the action earning a small giggle from Lauren who was completely taken off guard. "What was that,"

"I don't believe you've screamed my name yet," her words were daring, promising, sexual yet her tone still softer then it should have been.

"Bo," she whispered softly reaching up cupping her cheek as she stared into deep, beautiful, brown eyes. She was going to say something sweet, address the elephant in the room that haunted them every second of the day but there was something she saw in her wife's eyes-a pleading maybe.

"Hm?"

"Kiss me,"

She wasn't a succubus who had to be told twice. Bowing her head her lips ravished the Queen's until they were tender, and their minds dizzy. A stream of chi freely flowing between them in union so much it was just a steady flow neither sure who was actually feeding.

After several minutes of this, she tore her mouth away panting. Her knees once again shaking despite two feedings now her body still weaker then normal. She bit her lip and took a deep breath through her nose trying to gain the energy to travel down Lauren's awaiting body. She wanted to, she was more then willing and ready but she had a great deal of doubt on whether her legs and arms were strong enough to hold herself up for the length of time she needed them too.

"Get on your back,"

"Hm?"

"Get on your back—I want to try something," Lauren ordered already knowing her wife's hesitation. Knowing her Bo was to proud to admit her 'short comings'.

She was fine with just being the one to please Bo tonight, she was fine if they were just going to cuddle and drift off to sleep. But she knew the brunette wanted to return the favor. Bo wanted to prove herself for some reason, she just needed help to do so even if she didn't want to admit it.

Hesitantly and with some struggle the succubus maneuvered herself off Lauren and onto her back. While the blonde moved at the same time, a seductive smile planted on her lips. Crawling up the bed just enough she placed one bent knee just above Bo's left shoulder and then the other above the right.

Extending her arms she held onto the wall and locked her knees making sure to keep her body low enough to allow access yet high enough that Bo could move her head freely. Tilting her head down she looked at her wife's features trying to read them.

The brunette's tense features gradually turned into a smirk, elbows bending so she could reach up and grab Lauren's thighs from behind. Lifting her head up she didn't bother with games as she greedily nibbled and licked away at a waterfall of wetness. Stabbing into her with her tongue, Bo made sure to scrape her teeth against her wife's throbbing clit.

"I could do this forever," she breathed out in between licks and love bites. "I want you to cum in my mouth baby,"breathing out yet again between the full scale attack of her skilful tongue.

This was finally enough to earn a melody of stubborn moans but still the succubus was unsatisfied, still not hearing her wife scream out her name. Desperate to achieve her goal she sucked harder, bit harder, dug her tongue in deeper and rougher until she felt the familiar tremble coming from the woman above.

Opening her mouth wider she dared to venture into almost unexplored territory. Using the tip of her tongue she parted lips and instinctively chose to tilt her head to the left. Closing her eyes as she felt her K9's descend yet again, as they did they ripped through the tenderest of flesh.

Bo moaned against her wife as her mouth filled with an intoxicating, delicious mixture of warm wetness. The two blending together until they created a new taste that she never wanted to leave her mouth. She felt it coat the back of her throat, her mouth filling faster then she could swallow but still she refused to stop. It was addicting in so many way, enthralling—enchanting. She could feel it start to drip down from her lips to her chin, unsure of which of the two drugs of choice was escaping.

"Bo," Lauren sobbed out brokenly for the umpteenth time as she grasped at the wall trying to fight against the weakness in her knees and her wife's pulling hold. Her head falling back, eyes flying open in indescribable ecstasy, orgasms crashing her body creating pleasure that went on and on and on.

Not wanting to buckle on her wife she rolled off forcefully a animalistic growl escaping as she felt her flesh tear at her actions.

"Lauren," Bo looked up concern taking presence over everything.

"I'm fine," she shook her head, rolling onto her so she was facing her wife. "See," taking Bo's hand in her own and placing it between her thighs. A soft moan passing her lips as she dragged the succubus' fingers over the healing tenderness.

"I don't know—some further inspection may be needed,"

"Really,"

"Yeah—don't you think?"

"Whatever you say doctor," Lauren smiled at the irony of the statement.

"Oooh, **I** get to play doctor tonight?"

"You can play whatever you want with how good you're looking," Lauren's fingertips dragged up Bo's thigh till her hand was mimicking her wife's.

"You must have some low standards," Bo's chuckle was replaced with a hiss at her wife's pinch that was more out of annoyance then anything sexual. "What was that?"

"You know what it was for," tilting her head down till her forehead was resting against the other woman's. "I wouldn't let anyone else say these things about you why would I let you get away with it,"

"Cause I'm saying them about myself," pinch. "Stop that," pinch. "Lauren," pinch and pull. "Stop-or maybe not," she smiled breath beginning to labor.

"I'm not going to tell you again," there was an impressive assertiveness behind her words even though the succubus' finger continued to idly play in her wetness.

"You're only saying these things because you have too,"

"Enough," Lauren growled this time her eyes changing, her tone a mixture of anger and lust. "Enough," she repeated softer leaning down lips pressing to her's. Bo instinctively lifted her leg and placed it on over her hip bringing them closer. With a hard thrust two fingers fiercely entered Bo's warmth at rapid tempo.

Bo arched her body moaning into the blonde's mouth, her fingers working at a slightly less aggressive pace but effective none the less.

Ripping her mouth away she hungrily, possessively kissed down the brunette's jaw till reaching her neck. Forcing a place for her mouth not caring to wait for Bo to give her access. Her lips parted as her 'fangs' bore down sucking roughly.

She made sure her teeth didn't go to deep, just enough to brake skin, just enough to get a taste. Unlike Bo she wasn't doing this to feed no she wouldn't dare with her wife in this condition, this weak. She was doing it not only to bring her wife over the edge once more but to make a point.

She was going to make sure she left a mark in more ways then one.

Their bodies trembled together cumming together twice before Lauren had reached her halt though Bo had another three in her until the blonde finally had mercy.

Pulling back taking her hand with her she grabbed her wife's face, her determination evident.

"I want you to listen to me, I want you to **hear** me," nod. "You are just as beautiful today as ever if not more. I am with you because I love you, more today the yesterday but less then tomorrow. I touch you, tease you, taste you-feed you not because I have to but because I want to, I want you. Because I love you and no one has ever made me feel the way you do. I understand things are-difficult right now for you but you need to stop doubting yourself. Stop doubting my need, my want, my love for you,"

"Lauren I know what I look like,"

"What? Super sexy? Or at the moment completely blissful and tired? You look like you, like **my** Bo,"

"I've already gained twenty pounds and-,"

"And you have a lot more to go babe but you are hardly showing and if you keep it up you will never look more then a few months. Don't you remember how huge I was with Danni?"

"It was different,"

"How?"

"Because,"

"How?"

"Because you're stunning no matter what,"

"And so are you," Lauren sighed, frustration growing. She wasn't so much frustrated at her wife as she was at the situation. She wanted to bring comfort to her wife she wanted to make her feel better but just couldn't seem to do so.

"What if I don't lose the weight?"

"You will,"

"And if I don't?"

"You will **but **if you don't so what?"

"So what?" Bo tilted her head back jaw tightening.

"Yes, so what? So you don't lose it and what—you'll get thicker booty or thighs? Sounds good to me. Bigger breast or wider hips? Plus and plus if you plan to carry more little people. Bigger feet-well you got some big feet already babe I think they're at their max size so you're good there,"

"Ass," Bo pouted through teary eyes.

"Fifty, hundred and fifty or five hundred pounds I love you,"

"You know moments like these I can't imagine a world where weren't okay,"

"I know," smiling gently she used the back of her hand to brush stray, brown locks from her wife's face.

"Do you worry about them," her eyes gestured down toward her stomach.

"Of course," a soft smile coating her lips as she used her thumb to wipe away the traces of blood from the succubus' chin.

"No I mean about-"

"If they might turn out like Danielle? Yes, everyday and I pray everyday that they won't. I pray everyday that I won't fail them like I did her,"

"Me too," she whispered brokenly tilting her head down till her face was hidden in her wife's neck. Lauren maneuvered herself so her face was buried between the pillow and her wife's hair. "I keep hoping I won't make the same mistakes I did with her,"

"I think we are different people now, better people—maybe more equipped to deal with being parents,"

"Yeah," she yawned snuggling in closer to the Queen. "I love you,"

"I love you too," she said through her own yawn, eyes already closed.

* * *

**Morning **

_'While the riots have seemed to die down around the majority of cities there is no denying that they are still very much a problem, sporadic or not. And once again the U.N. has nothing to say other then they are taking steps. The President of the United States continues to try and ease the public tension but all her reassurances reassure are the privileged. The same issue very much alive as when the riots broke out and major, beneficial cities were the only ones being protected, ' _

_**MUTE**_

Bo tossed the remote onto the couch, shaking her head.

"Dude I was watching that," Kenzi complained between shoveling Captain Crunch into her mouth. Her lips fixing into a smirk as her eyes locked in on the mouth sized bruise on the succubus' neck.

"It's the same bullshit every morning, every afternoon, every night," she couldn't help but yawn.

"Still,"

"You work under the Queen-you know ten times more then them,"

"They have pictures,"

"Wh-" Bo closed her mouth and shook her head again. It was at moments like this things seemed almost back to normal between them but soon she'd be fully awake and the bliss from last nights activities would wear off and then they'd exchange playful banter that would turn viscous.

But it was baby steps. This month a couple words of friendliness, next month maybe a whole conversation. MAYBE.

Walking around the arm she plopped down onto the couch looking between the muted screen and her-semi-friend repeatedly until her muddle mind cleared enough to be aware of her surroundings. Eyes narrowing in on the large, yellow envelope.

What reminisce of sleep that loomed in the background disappeared as she remembered the last time she had come in contact with a similar envelope.

"This yours," she let out accusingly thinking if it was it would make so much sense.

"Nope, was on the floor when I walked in. Thought it was strange but figured maybe Lauren dropped it coming in from work,"

"Hm," jaw clenched she sat back up at attention and pulled the envelope up, ripping the top off in one clean motion. Pulling an almost equally large picture she let the envelope drop as confusion plagued her features. "Taj Mahal?"

"What?" Kenzi tilted her head up as Bo tipped the picture toward her. "That's the Vatican," she snorted rolling her eyes. "Didn't you spend over a year in Italy?"

"Yeah," she wasn't really paying attention to the younger woman as she turned the picture over. The word LIAR wrote across the back in red marker. "Okay, I'm stumped," she chuckled handing it over to Kenzi who gave it a once over.

"Beats the shit outta me,"

"Why would someone send a picture of the Vatican of all places,"

"Maybe they think you need saving,"

"Har-har-har,"

"Did you have a one night stand there?" Kenzi snorted tossing the photo onto the table. "They finally caught up to you,"

"Never visited,"

"Really? I mean I would, I heard the food there amazing cause everything is cooked fresh and all that," Kenzi's words began to trail as she noticed an unusually pale Lauren standing in the doorway.

"I was kinda being a whore at the time and I didn't see a lot of opportunities for booty-calls there," Bo glared picking the photo back up as though something was going to change. "Seriously what's the point of this? Like some Riddler style plea for help or-"

"Danielle is there,"

"What?" Bo turned around slightly straddled at her wife's voice. A half smile still on her lips obviously not registering what had been said. "What'd you say babe?"

"I said," she took a deep breath mustering the courage to say it aloud under the pair's gaze, readying to shatter Bo's loving smile. "I said Danielle is there,"


	32. Drop Dead Beautiful

**Chapter Thirty-One: Drop Dead Beautiful**

"I said Danielle is there,"

Bo felt her lungs contract, words stuck in her throat as those five words swirled around in her mind shattering everything they had spent months building. She felt as if a tiny, maniacal gnome ran around her mind with a bat smashing every memory from the past four months. Each one flashing before her eyes, before they were smashed into oblivion. Every late night talk, every confidence, every ounce of trust earned back—they were all breaking into tiny little pieces.

Her lips once fixed in a seemingly infallible, loving smile now plagued with a frown parted for the fifth time but still no words made their way out. Instead the two's eyes shifted to Kenzi who was chuckling to herself, a subtle hint of guilt written in her features.

"Sorry. Sorry," she perched her lips together shaking her head side to side while waving her hand trying to assure them she was done but just as their gaze averted another chuckled forced its way from her. "I'm sorry really I am. I just keep imagining a bunch of old, overweight, white guys in ridiculously large hats tossing buckets of Holy Water at her," Lauren's attempt to scowl failed, the fear and worry too great while Bo kept the same blank look she had been sporting since her wife's confession. "Sorry boys can't pray the gay away," standing up bowl in hand she walked into the kitchen, placing it in the sink before returning. "Or in her case, the obsessive mommy issues either,"

"Kenzi," Bo call wasn't full of anger or pain nor annoyance just short and flat.

"I'm sorry-it's just really funny if you picture it," she rolled her eyes returning to her seat. "I'm sorry but come on who didn't see this coming?"

"Me," the succubus nearly lept to her feet, her stone features beginning to crack. Needing desperately to be away from the pair she made a dash for her bedroom pushing past her wife and dodging an attempt to stop her.

"Seriously?" the youngest of the three asked, eyes widening as Lauren stared at her with a murderous scowl. "Come on seriously Lauren who didn't see this coming? No body, no proof of death, shady, evasiveness when asked about the details? Oh and the fact that supposedly you were the one to kill her? Yeah-okay," she snorted rolling her eyes again.

"You know Kenz sometimes you can be a real bitch,"

"What?" the young woman's jaw dropped, brow tightening as she watched the blonde walk off following her wife. "What'd I do?"

Kenzi leaned back into the couch a heavy sigh escaping as she thought about their exchange debating with herself whether or not she had stepped out of line. After a good five minutes and still no clear decision on her internal debate the reminder of work clicked in as her eyes paused on the corner of the television seeing it was already fifteen minutes past nine.

Letting out another sigh she forced herself to her feet, completely ready to vacate the premises until the bold letters scrolling across the bottom of the muted screen captured her attention.

-**BREAKING NEWS****:** **United States President Montgomery had been found brutally murdered this morning. Details are still vague other than the fact that two words were written in her own blood across the wall above her body. Vivat Regina!-**

* * *

**Bedroom**

"Crap," Lauren mumbled under her breath shutting the door behind herself realizing Bo had locked herself in the bathroom. '_Least she didn't run out of the house,'_ she thought to herself walking over to the bed remembering she needed to be careful what exactly she let out aloud, the past months had done wonders for her wife's hearing. "Bo come out," Silence. "Bo please come out," Silence. "I'm not going to do this with you,"

"No one is asking you too!"

"Bo,"

"Go away!"

"Bo,"

"Go away!"

"Bo,"

"Go away!"

"Bo-and don't say go away,"

"GO AWAY!"

Lauren couldn't help the smirk that forced its way onto her lips. She knew this was serious, beyond serious in fact. She knew this wasn't a time for laughing of any kind nor anything other than graveling but she couldn't help the cuteness she found in her wife's childish actions.

And just as quickly as she found cuteness and innocence in the situation it was gone, the memory of just what they were fighting about coming into the forefront of her mind. The impact it could have as well.

Taking a deep breath a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach growing as her eyes focused on the thick line of light slipping through the bottom of the door.

***"**Mommy you're home!" a skittish, nine year old Danielle jumped out from the kitchen. "Early!**

"**Yes, meeting with a Baltertosh. Polite enough, sadly very slimy creatures. Ruined my four hundred dollar skirt," Lauren complained kicking off her shoes and unbuttoning her shirt with a obvious frustration in every movement. "Where is your mother?"**

"**Sleeping,"**

"**Sleeping? It's ten already-have you eaten?"**

"**Mm-hm,"**

"**Cereal? That is not a good enough meal Danni, give me a few minutes to change and I'll give you a proper one since your mother won't," Lauren threw her shirt down in a crumpled ball on the floor next to her shoes before beginning to undo her skirt. **

"**Okay mommy. Why don't you go change and I'll get the kitchen ready,"**

"**Least someone around here helps me. Where is your brother?" **

"**Asleep with mom too,"**

"**Wonderful," she kicked off her skirt irritation calming or at least shelved for the moment as she began to realize her daughter had been keeping her hands behind her back the entire time they've been talking. Noticing how the young girl was constantly shifting back and forth with a rosiness to her cheeks. Looking in closer she saw a faint, red smudge print on her jaw. "What were you doing?"**

"**Nothing,"**

"**Let me see your hands,"**

"**No,"**

"**Okay," Lauren walked around her daughter despite her pleads. Making her way into the kitchen her eyes locked on the blood splattered sink, a lifeless body of a bird laying in the drain two scalpels sticking out of its tiny body. "What is this?" she turned to find her daughter standing there with her bloodstained hands folded in front of her. **

"**I found him like that,"**

"**You found a dead bird in our sink?"**

"**I found him outside and I wanted to dissect him-like you use to do," Lauren stared down at her daughter, eyes narrow and jaw tight.**

"**Go to the bathroom and clean yourself up, don't make a mess. I'm going to clean this one and we will not speak of this again, understand?" *****

Lauren ran her hand over the back of her neck the sound of rustling from behind the door pulling her back to reality. Looking over her shoulder at the clock, 9:32 a.m. Sighing she turned back to the door debating on whether or not to try and call out again.

***"**How do I look Ma?" **

**Lauren heard her fifteen year old daughter ask as she walked out of the bathroom. Her wife sitting up against the headboard and comforter over her, magazine in hand. Danielle stood at the edge of the bed in running shorts and a hot pink bra. **

"**How do I look Ma?" Danielle repeated staring Bo down.**

"**Like you should be asking someone who isn't your mother how you look,"**

"**Dude seriously!" the girl pouted stamping her foot.**

"**You look great baby," Lauren smiled softly sliding onto the bed, placing her glasses on the nightstand. **

"**You think?" she asked softly, attention shifting from Bo to Lauren. **

"**I do. Sexy yet classy a very nice choice,"**

"**Well then there you go," Bo chuckled raising a brow and rolling her eyes. **

"**Glad you think so," Danielle's smile only grew till her teeth were showing, a faint pinkness to her cheeks. "See you later," she quickly blabbered out as she disappeared down the hall. **

"**What was so hard about that?"**

"**I'm sorry just don't think we're the experts on telling her how sexy she looks," Bo shrugged eyes returning to her magazine. **

"**You don't want her to have body issues do you?"**

"**I also don't want her having mommy issues that when she'd thirty five is gonna be in therapy telling Doctor-Shit-For-Brains-Blame-The-Parents-For-Every thing, about how her mommies are her experts on what's sexy and what's not,"**

"**Not everyone thinks everything is about sex Bo,"*****

"Are you okay in there?" Lauren asked being ripped from her thoughts at the sound of a crash. "Bo?" Silence. "Bo if you don't answer me I'm going to kick the door down-you know I can,"

"I'm fine!"

"Are you lying?"

"I'm not you!"

"Fine, I deserved that one,"

"Ya think?!"

"Bo please come out so we can discuss this like adults,"

"Screw you! That adult enough for you—liar!"

"Bo," the call of her wife's name a soft sigh as she slipped off the bed. Leaning up against it for support she stretched out her legs across the floor and let her eyes close.

*****Lauren sunk back on the velvet red couch that lay in the middle of the dimly lit room. Her eyes a piercing, glassy green that stared up at the ceiling as her head fell back against the couch. Blood dripped from her lips down past her chin onto her neck but she didn't care. At the moment she didn't care much about anything. **

**The world was spinning, she was dizzy like she was drunk but without the sick, heavy feeling that went along with it. Her body was alive and humming. Every cut she had, had just minutes ago was gone with the exception of the four little cuts on her neck that continued to bleed. Yet there was a rush to feeling her own blood leaking down her neck that she welcomed. A feeling of feeling her life SLOWLY slipping away yet knowing no matter what she wouldn't die. **

**The sound of familiar giggling filled her ears forcing her eyes open just as she felt her daughter fall onto the couch, head in her lap. **

"**You're bleeding," she giggled out, looking up at her mother as her finger idly pointed up in the air. **

"**So are you," her words seemed to float out past her lips as she let her hand fall on Danielle's stomach.**

"**No," silence engulfed them for a moment, icy eyes peering into icy eyes. Slowly bloody lips curved into a shared smile, giggles escaping from them both. "I feel so-alive. Feel like nothing can touch us,"**

"**Nothing can,"**

"**Ha, what-like Gods?" **

"**No," Lauren shook her head giggle subsiding as she cupped her daughter's cheek. "I am one—beyond one and you my love are part of me,"**

"**So I am too," she sat up half way to face her mother. **

"**Yes, nothing is or ever will be above us," *****

Lauren sniffed using the back of her had to wipe away tears that had made it past closed eyes lids. Feeling a stabbing in her heart she maneuvered herself onto her knees taking a deep breath.

*****Bo's body froze with the exception of her head that turned when a splatter of blood shot onto her face. Looking up in horror, in shock she watched her daughter's features twisting in a heartbreaking mixture of pure agony and betrayal. Looking closer she saw a hand wrapped around the girl's throat. And from the opposite side Lauren's face came into view.**

**Blood filled gargles filled the air as Lauren guided the girl back four steps, earning a reasonable distance from the succubus. Bo watched as Lauren's lips hovered just over their daughter's ear, tears falling from both of them.**

**"I love you my baby, I love you so much." Her whimpering words were nearly drowned out by Danni's moan of pain. "Shhh. It'll only hurt for a moment," Lauren placed a lingering kiss on the girl's on the cheek. "I love you. It's okay," Danni's head fell back against her mother's shoulder. "I love you,"**

**Lauren swallowed back an anvil of a sob, tilting her head she leaned in pressing her lips to her child's ear.**

"**I love you more then you know, I know this hurts….but you're going to have be strong for me and run," she whispered so softly she was hardly able to hear her own words. Taking a quick moment her eyes mapped the exact distance from where they stood to the window. Fighting against every instinct ****in her body she grabbed her daughter tighter and in one swift movement tossed her daughter's body through the air at just the right angle so she flew through the glass. *****

The blonde cleared her throat and crawled over toward the door. Leaning against the wall, she turned her head so her face was toward the door, taking small breaths while trying to hear inside.

*****Lauren shoved her hands deep in her jacket pockets a chill going down her spine as the dusk wind blew. She looked out onto the water which seemed so much calmer now that dozens of her staff weren't polluting it as they tried to find the body of her daughter. **

**She looked up into the sky then toward the building her eyes immediately locking on the broken window caused by her. She mapped the area over and over again wondering just what could have happened. In four day there had been no sign of Danielle. **

**No body, no blood, no trace of death. No dead bodies, no sick love notes, no sightings, no sign of life.**

**Her eyes dance down the building all the way to the open area full of tons and tons of trash. Bags upon bags, stacks of cardboard and wood. Boxes of all sizes and garbage barrels of various sizes. **

**She shook her head to herself readying to walk away and forget all about this forsaken place until she felt a weird feeling spread through her. As if she was being pulled she walked two hundred feet forward passing the window by seventy or so. **

**Deciding to give into herself she pulled back layers upon layers of cardboard, boxes and torn bags her search intensifying with every heartbeat. **

**And then she found her. **

**There Danielle lay amongst the trash covered in blood, soot, mud along with things Lauren didn't want to think about. Her breath catching in her throat she just stood still staring down at her daughter's discarded, seemingly innocent body.*****

"Bo dammit open the door!"

'_Shut up!' _Bo thought to herself as she stared down at an open book resting on the sink.

-_Remember anger serves no one including yourself and the life of your unborn baby. When feeling negative feelings remember this fact. Remember anger serves no one. Remember to breathe through the feelings until you are calm and clear of mind.—_

The succubus read the passage over and over again to herself, taking small breaths until she felt calm that was until she hear Lauren's voice.

"Bo open the door!"

"Mind your damn business,"

"You are my damn business!"

"Really?! Could'a fooled me!" Bo caught herself fists clenching and her voice was raising. Shaking her head she began flipping the pages to her book, passing highlighted section after highlighted section.

_-It is important to remember that your emotions are running higher then you realize. It is important to remember that your lover is your partner. While they may upset you remember they are your partner and do to your emotions being heightened at this point in your life things may escalate further than normal. Instead of engaging take a moment to gain your barring. _

_Once you are calm and in control remember to talk to your partner, communication is key.—_

Taking another series of breath she slammed the book shut and turned the faucet on. Splashing water on her face, and over her hair as she fixed her ponytail. Grunting to herself she pulled the door open confusion covering her face momentarily at the seemingly empty room until Lauren pushed herself up off of the wall.

"What were you doing in there?" Lauren asked looking from the clock to her wife seeing it had been an hour.

"Taking a shit," the blonde's features tensed at the blatant vulgarity of her wife. "What's it to you?"

"I was worried,"

"Oh how sweet,"

"Bo I'm sorry just let me explain,"

"Explain what? How you lied again to me and I like a big dumb-thing believed you? Believed that you could be honest? Lauren you're a freaken' habitual liar, I don't even think you realize it anymore,"

"I was honest about everything else, I've been honest but this was-this I couldn't be. I knew you wouldn't understand,"

"No I understand. Kenzi was right I should have seen this coming a mile away all the signs were there. Who could believe that you would kill her, **your** baby girl,"

"I,"

"It's true isn't it? You never intended to kill her,"

"I did,"

"Maybe," Bo nodded walking over to the bed and taking a seat. "Maybe you did up until that moment—I can believe that-I have too," she ran her hands over her face. "I get it I really do but I want you to understand something, if that girl comes near these babies I will not hesitate this time. I will kill her and not think twice,"

"It won't be a problem," the blonde whispered out brokenly, eyes fixed on the floor.

"You say that now but—I can't help but wonder if she came at me, even now being pregnant would you still chose her?"

"It won't be a problem because Danielle is brain dead,"

"What?"

"When I found her she was near death, and in some ways I guess you could say she is dead. She is brain dead, they run a test every Saturday morning to make sure. She hasn't moved, spoke, opened her eyes even,"

"Oh," was all the succubus could let out trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her heart.

"Yeah,"

"Be that as it may I meant what I said,"

"I know," Lauren looked up finding her wife sadly smiling, nodding her head. "So-that's it?"

"Yeah Lauren that's it. I can't keep doing this with you, something pops up and then we fight and breakup and act like children and then after hurting one another we get back together just to do it all over again. I want you, I want us-I'm in this for the long haul. I need you to accept me for who I am and that means I gotta accept you. You are and always have been a liar, sometimes it's little and fine other times it's big and heartbreaking. I accept it-seems like a small price to pay for happiness,"

"Bo i—"

"Save it, don't promise honesty or anything else you're about to say because you'll fail like you have every time before and its fine. Lies of omission are your specialty and what I don't know can't hurt me,"

"So that's really it, we're just fine now?"

"I'm mad-no-I'm angry. I'm angry and I'm hurt, very hurt but I'll get over it like I always do and we'll move past it. I know the end result is me back in your arms, I know I need you and these babies need you. We've made a life-again and I'm not losing it this time. So yeah this is it, I'm not running away but I'm not exactly thrilled with you at the moment,"

"I really wanted to be honest," the blonde let out, taking a seat next to her wife.

"I know,"

* * *

**Living-Room**

-**Breaking News from CNN as we continue our coverage, at 10:28 a.m. **

_This morning the President of the United States was found brutally murder in her bedroom. The details have been trickling in and from what we've pieced together it seems to be an occult killing. Her wrists and ankles were bound to the bed, her throat and wrist slit to the near point of being severed. The two words being chanted through the streets of 'Long Live The Queen' written in her own blood across the wall. No other deaths have been reported making this the most unusual and shocking story._

_In addition we have also received word that England's Prime Minister was found dead not long ago. While we are still waiting for confirmation what we can tell you is that the cause is not natural and seems to have ire similarities to the death of President Montgomery. –_

"Hey," Bo let out forcing a small smile as she was first to make her way into the living room finding Kenzi, Sean and Mila all on one couch.

"H—hi," it was raspy, broken, and barely audible but it came from the young human bringing a look of shock to both Bo and Lauren.

"You spoke," Bo's forced smile turned genuine as she took a seat across from them. "That's amazing,"

"Really, why aren't you more excited?" Lauren asked staying behind the couch not completely sure how to act with her wife at the moment and just how much of her 'we're okay' was genuine. "We need to celebrate,"

"Might wanna hold the party hats off a bit-don't think it would reflect too well considering," Sean nodded toward the television that once again reported the same details.

"Jesus," she let out unconsciously as she moved to the arm of the couch, Bo's arm draping over her legs reassuringly. The images on the screen changing from CNN reporters to glimpses into the escalating violence spreading in the streets. "I didn't order this," her tone almost that of someone being accused.

"We know," Bo reassured, her hand gripping the blonde's knee though her eyes remained on the screen.

"China is threatening to take action against us,"

"Against us? We're a race not a country,"

"Well they want to take action against our race, like full on death camps and exterminations. They're threatening to out us," Kenzi continued phone firmly in hand. "And anyone helping us,"

"I need to go," she stood up somewhat frazzled. "You'll be safe within the walls and with Sean here, I'll have Denzel stay too and—"

"Whoa there cowgirl, what are you talking about?" Bo somewhat difficultly maneuvered herself so she was facing Lauren.

"If anyone is going to carry out threats it China's President and then Russia won't be far behind. I have to get to Italy, I have to get Danielle out of there. If they get to her—what they'd do to her, what it would do to everyone to know I lied. The innocent people—the incident it would cause. I'm already sponsoring a race war I don't need a religious one under my belt as well,"

"They wouldn't launch an attack there," Kenzi spoke up getting a semi-thankful look from Bo.

"Can you be sure? That's a lot to take a chance on,"

"What was she in like some exorcism detox camp or something?" Sean snarked suddenly the picture on the table making sense.

"No my mother had friends there, and it was the one place I knew no one would look,"

"Fair enough," Sean shrugged off not surprised or fazed one bit by the fact his sister was still alive. "What?" he asked looking around the group of people who inquisitively looked back at him. "Did anyone really not see this coming?"

"Why can't you send one of your gazillion minions?"

"Because she didn't just lie to the humans about her actions," Sean answered his mother. "What I been here for the past ten years I know how this political shit works,"

"Lauren you can't leave me,"

"It'll only be for a day or two, I know you're safe. This isn't just about Danni there are a lot of lives at risk, human and Fae. And if they find out I lied, that I hid this do you know what will happen? No amount of apologizing will every repair things thus putting us all including those babies in danger,"

"What if I go?" Sean asked throwing the picture down.

"Not an option," the pair answered in union.

"Why?"

"Then I'm going with," Bo spoke up earning the best 'you're fucking crazy' look she had ever seen from not only her wife but the other three onlookers as well.


	33. Into The Darkness

A.N. Just two quick notes.

First, I want to thank the amazing Olansamuelle for doing me the favor of beta-ing this chapter. You are amazing, that is all. Lol

Second, We are now starting the last four/five chapters. I am saying one last warning they will be mild to heavy M and some content whether it be language, humor, ect may come across as offensive to some.

If you are offended I am sorry. If you're not then I hope you enjoy,

pokie

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Into The Darkness**

**(Dead Is The New Alive)**

"Ty is blowing a gasket," Kenzi complained, eyes buried in the screen of her phone, her free hand holding onto the strap of her backpack.

"He's been blowing em' since last night," Sean chirped in mimicking his aunt's exact actions.

"He'll be fine; he has quite the work load to worry about."

Bo kept to herself listening to the three of them continue on about whether or not the quote, unquote King of the Fae would survive two days by himself. Her eyes traveled around the airport she knew semi well, though this trip was different than before. Despite the obvious differences, there was something about this that felt different. A feeling that left a chill in her bones and a sickness in the pit of her stomach.

She gripped the strap of her shoulder bag with both hands unconsciously feeling uneasy under the gaze of the travelers. As they walked down the ridiculously long hall, people from all ages, all walks of life, stopped what they were doing and subtly tilted their heads as the small group passed. And then others simply went on about their business knowing nothing the difference about who they were.

She felt a weird twinge of jealousy at the obliviousness that some of these people shared. She wondered what her life would be like, how easy it would be if she shared it as well. If she could have her wife and family without the complication of the Fae, but then again this was the real world, this was life she couldn't just pick and choose.

"Whoa, whoa back off Grandpa-Time," Kenzi said pulling the succubus out of her internal ramblings.

"This is Father Travino," Lauren lightly touched the tiny woman on the arm, a polite, subtle and silent way of ordering her to back off.

"You're Father Travino?" Kenzi and Sean shared a curious look before looking back at the man in front of them.

"Not what you were expecting?"

"No—not really," she let out honestly feeling somewhat embarrassed, somewhat confused. He was short and lanky even though his jacket added the illusion of bulk. He was Mr. Clean bald and looked somewhere in his mid-fifties though time had been kind. But perhaps the biggest off-putting thing about him was not even the fact that he had a light southern-American accent rather than an Italian one, but the fact he was apparently African American.

"Didn't mention she was racist," he said to Lauren scowling.

"What? I'm not! I was just-I mean your name and we're in Italy but-I'm not racist,"

"Relax child before you give yourself a heart attack, I'm just jerking your chain," he let out a hearty laugh patting her on the shoulder. "And they say priests are uptight," he continued to laugh giving Lauren a hug. "You must be the lovely wife," he took Bo's hand in his own and gave her a welcoming smile before getting Sean's hand. "Heck of a grip you got there young man. He looks just like you two, much more than Danielle,"

"Yeah she always looked more like me," Bo cut in not liking how her wife's attention hadn't focused on her in quite a while. The man was nice enough, welcoming enough, but she was pregnant and Lauren needed to focus on her more than anyone else. Selfish and ridiculous? Yes, but she didn't really care if it was or not.

"I don't know about that," his lips perched and eyes narrowed as if he was sucking on a lemon. "Dark hair, dark eyes, and darker skin I see but I don't know, she just doesn't have the welcoming, soft features of either of you two,"

"Thank you-I think,"

"I'm sorry I just spend a lot of time staring at your daughter, I don't mean to come off a creepy,"

"It's fine," Lauren smiled at him warmly before shooting her wife a look. "Danielle is just a touchy subject still-particularly more at this moment than most,"

"Right, right well then I'm sorry. I assumed since everyone took the trip here with you there had been forgiveness,"

"Complicated subject as well as testy. But with Bo being pregnant and all we felt we shouldn't be apart, and our son of course—"

"Wants to be the man of the house, good boy. A man should always show respect to his parents, especially his morther—**s**. Take Jesus for example: the son of God and still showed nothing but respect to the Virgin Mary, perfect example was when," he trailed off noticing the awkward array of looks he was earning. "Right, forgot not a religious bunch. Just as well," he shrugged turning around and beginning to lead the group toward the exit.

"Your mother was friends with him?" Bo whispered leaning into her wife.

"She was for over two centuries,"

"You're Fae?" Sean asked softly, eyes widening.

"Last time I checked. I knew Dyson too, such a wily fella but a good man. I wish I could have made his funeral,"

"Holy shit—I mean crap—I mean pooo," Kenzi took a breath unable to explain her sudden nervousness under this man's gaze. "Sorry,"

"Don't mind me, I've heard far worse at a pub with the men around here watching a soccer match,"

Bo slipped back into her own mind not feeling exactly chatty. At the moment she didn't even want to speak to her wife. Just hours ago she was blissfully enjoying her lavish life with her wife and now she was in Italy getting into the back of some cheeky priest's car to be taken to see her murderous daughter who was supposed to have been dead.

Just hours ago she was past the issue of Danielle. She could say the girl's name, call her, her daughter again without a taste of disgust being left in her mouth. She could even think of the girl with some pity to an extent but for the most part the situation was behind her. She could think back on it almost as an outsider with a certain coldness to it.

But now she had just flown over four thousand miles to participate in a rescue mission. Now she was having to deal with the fact this same girl was alive-to a degree. This murderous, insane, mommy-complex-having monster was alive and she had to be rescued. Now she was having to deal with complex emotions bubbling within.

Half of her wanted to kill this girl once and for all. Rid the world of this monstrous creation who didn't deserve to breath. Rid the world of this girl who more than likely if she ever awoke would come back after them, after her unborn twins. But then there was another part of her that remembered this girl was her daughter. That this girl shared her blood, shared her DNA, shared a life with her once.

She looked over to her wife who was in a polite conversation with Father Travino, the two sharing a laugh that was genuine enough, yet there was a heavy, crushing undertone to it. A heavy, crushing undertone that filled the car even in silence. It wasn't coming from any one of them but from each and every one of them. As if they had all known something that their conscious minds hadn't yet caught up with.

Studying her wife's masking features she couldn't help but wonder if the woman would hate her if she did in fact kill their daughter. What would happen if Danielle never made it back home with them, what would happen if sometime in between the girl just disappeared once and for all. Would Lauren ever be able to forgive her? Would Lauren allow it? Would there even be a time for that to happen? What would Kenzi and Sean do?

Swallowing, her throat suddenly dry, she looked away eyes focusing on the engraved design on the back of the seat in front of her. Never until this moment had she really realized just how much she had changed. How much she had changed as a person, as an ascending succubus, and as a mother. She had become colder in some ways while she had softened in others. She had a set of morals and she stuck to them, anything in between didn't matter.

Killing, for example, she found herself being fine with, depending on the person. Even thinking about it now she didn't feel a twinge of guilt as she once did. But moving her attention from Danielle, a murderous fiend, to Kenzi who really was a good person at heart, and whose only real fault was personally wronging her—she couldn't stomach the thought of touching.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was simply her wife's mentality for the past years, a mentality that Kenzi seemed to share now and most likely Sean. She couldn't help but wonder if this was what she had made such a big deal about, if this was what she had accused Lauren of being so cold for. If it was, she felt the need to apologize.

Now in the moment she saw what Lauren and Kenzi and even Sean had thrown in her face about being immature and close-minded. Now she realized what they had meant by saying she lived with her head in the clouds. She understood Trick's last words to her, that no matter how many years pased, she would always remain a child if she didn't grow up and stop living in a fantasy world.

She may have saved the world more times than she could count, may have dealt with more heartache than most but she stayed in her own self-serving world. She believed in a set of rules, of morals made up by people she never met from a time not her own and believed they would serve her right. Believed that what was good for people a hundred years ago would still work for her, for this world she lived in.

Now she realized this was one situation where she did get to pick and choose. This was a situation where she picked what morals felt right to her, which ones were actually plausible in the world and which ones weren't. Now she realized that maybe Lauren and the rest of them hadn't been as cold as she made them out to be, but had simply been living in reality. A reality she may not like, a reality she may not want to accept but a reality none the less.

Now she just had to figure out how far the limits of her morals could be bent.

Was she someone who could justify killing her brain dead daughter for the greater good-could she even chalk it up to being the greater good any longer? Was she someone who would smile and lie to her wife, child and sister for as long as she needed to in order to kill a member of their family behind their backs? Was she someone who could honestly accept the world this way and learn to live in it?

"Why are we stopping?" she asked, mind jumping to reality at the sound of car doors opening.

"His Eminence is out right now we would never get past. Too many guards, too many people—too many eyes on us,"

"I'd love to have the world stop for me when I took a walk," Bo's remark earned another scowl from her wife.

"Kenzi and Sean, explore a bit but stay close, may as well enjoy the scenery if we have to stay put. Me, Bo and the Father will have a coffee here," she gestured at the cafe in front of them choosing to ignore the succubus' continued unexplainable rudeness. "You do know he isn't flirting with me right?" she whispered to her wife as the other three had already stepped out onto the street.

"Yes,"

"Then?"

"Then what, Lauren?"

"Why are you going out of your way to be rude?"

"I'm not,"

"It seems like it. If you're still angry at me that is fine, you can take it out on me, don't take it out on other people,"

"I'm speaking to him as I would anyone else, excuse me if I don't bend over and kiss his holy ass,"

"Fine Bo," she shook her head making the extra effort to scoot out of the opposite side instead of taking the easy exit and following her wife out.

"I took the liberty of ordering, hot chocolates for both of you, extra cream. I figured since Bo here couldn't have caffeine she still deserved deliciousness,"

"How considerate,"

"It is," Lauren once again glared at her wife as they sat across from the man. "Thank you, she is now at the point where she is missing everything caffeinated, it's to the point we can't have any in the house so I'm cutting back as well,"

"Ah the things we do for love,"

"Surprised you recognize our love let alone our marriage,"

"Why wouldn't I dear? Love is love and union is union, but I suppose that was a remark more about my faith than me personally?" he paused taking a sip of his coffee, smile still coating his lips. "The church hasn't actively spoken out about homosexuality in years, guess they finally realized there were more important issues at hand,"

"So you don't care then?"

"As long as you two aren't making out in front of me I say congratulations on finding love and starting a family. Same can be said for straight couples though I just don't appreciate public affection in general,"

"Least not from people our age,"

"Jesus Bo," Lauren nearly slammed her glass down, brow tightening.

"She's just kidding, I can tell," he said from behind the rim of his cup. "No worries, I get them all the time. Not so much around here, more when I return to America,"

"See, it was a joke," the succubus shrugged taking a sip of her own drink. "So exactly how many priests are in on this?"

"Three if you include myself, Father Lomax, who is another Fae brother, and Father Rivers, a human,"

"Ah see we couldn't get a Bishop or something higher,"

"Actually I am a Bishop but I thought I might draw some attention if I wore my robes, they aren't the most inconspicuous things to wear," his smile now down to a grin. "We do on occasion wear regular clothes,"

"Apparently,"

"If you excuse me," he smiled politely standing. "I have to use the little boys room," Bo's eyes shot up from her cup to the man. "Ah I love the cynics," he let out another hearty laugh, shaking his head as he walked away. "Always good for a laugh,"

"What is wrong with you? Do you need an exorcism? because we can get you one,"

"I was just joking with him and apparently the old man has a sense of humor," she snorted on her laugh almost choking up her coco. "I don't know if he's the coolest man I've met or the most annoying,"

"Do you want to talk about your new sense of humor?"

"Not really,"

"Bo I've apologized ten times over, for lying and for our fight about you coming. I've tried to make it up to you. You said we were okay,"

"We are,"

"We don't seem like it,"

"Lauren, my feet are killing me, I have gas, I'm bloated, I'm tired, I'm horny and I am still hurt and angry. I don't want to be here. The more you try and mussel me the more it makes me want to act out. I like the Father just fine and if you'd leave me alone maybe I'd back off,"

"So you're messing with him just to spite me,"

"No-well maybe a little yeah,"

"Wonderful," the blonde shook her head in disbelief, looking away from her wife and out onto the street.

"I'm sorry," she broke after several moments of silence, reaching out her hand resting over her wife's on the arm of the chair. "Really Lauren I'm sorry," she took a deep breath, a small feeling of guilt plaguing her. "I'll apologize when he gets back,"

"You don't need to-not on my account,"

"I'm just hurt and scared,"

"I wanted you to stay home and safe," Lauren's head whipped around to face her wife. "I wanted you to be away from this where you could be protected and nothing would touch you, or our babies,"

"It's still my job to protect you-I mean I can't really do much right now but I can't shake those feelings. I know just how strong and super badass you are now but I still worry-I will no matter what. And selfishly even angry I can't be away from you even if it is just for a day or two,"

"I know," a soft sigh escaped, her features soften. "I just-I am so worried something is going to happen and-"

"Then we'll protect each other,"

"No you will be escorted by Sean and Kenzi very far away," the two stared each other down for a moment until either of them could no longer hold their laugh.

"Yeah, like that would happen,"

"Now this is what I like to see," they both turned to the Father who had now made his way back to the table.

"Listen, about before-"

"Hey, hey," he held his hands up leaning back in his chair and shaking his head. "We're good. I'm a black, Fae, Catholic Priest who has lived through the depression, oppression, civil rights, church scandals and now this uprising-takes more than a couple of underhanded comments to ruffle my pretty, little feathers,"

"Fair enough," she shrugged again, a small grin as she actually thought about the combination.

"About-Danielle. Is she still," Lauren paused looking down at the table knowing soon or later they were going to have to face the reality of why they were there.

"As of the last test there has been no brain activity-except for the time she hopped up on the ceiling and her head spun around like a mary-go-round but then again what could you expect when attempting an exorcism?" his smile vanished seeing the mixture of shock and horror on the pairs faces. "It's a joke, it's a joke,"

"Nice," Bo couldn't help the first real laugh that escaped her. "To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if it had happen with her,"

"I can tell by the reaction,"

"My Queen," the three looked up at the voice of the tall, slender, blonde man in glasses as he tilted his head toward Lauren and then turned to Father Travino. "Bishop, if we are going to do this we need to move **now.**" He turned back to the women. "His Eminence is being rushed back in before being secretly escorted away to avoid mass panic,"

"What's happened?" Sean asked with a mouth full of dough pretzel as him and Kenzi approached.

"I'm not certain but I think there has been a threat against his life and with the death of Germany's President not more then an hour ago the guard wants to react,"

"What? Hans is dead?" Lauren looked back to her wife then back to the newcomer. "They shouldn't move him,"

"My Queen I have to have faith in the guard and in the Lord to protect the Holy Father, at this moment I need to worry about my duty to you,"

"Maybe this isn't about him at all. Maybe they've discovered Danni," Lauren looked back at Bo as they stood. "Bo please stay with Sean and Kenzi, go back to the airport,"

"No,"

"Baby please, things are different now there is an actual threat,"

"I am safer by your side than anywhere else," Lauren sighed seeing the determination in her wife's eyes. Turning to the two men and then to Kenzi.

"Kenzi, assemble whatever Fae security we still have left within the city and deploy them to help the Swiss Guard," she turned back to the men. "They might catch something hanging back in the shadows,"

Bo let herself drift back into her thoughts making sure to stay close to her wife and within the sort of protective circle her three family members had created around her. She turned glancing over her right shoulder looking at Kenzi who was quickly coordinating help and then over her left shoulder at Sean who was doing an impression of a rabid watch dog. Then her gaze skimmed back over Lauren to the two men leading the way through the crowd.

_'Is it one of them,' _she thought wondering who it would be. Who would be their Judas this time, who would stab her in the back.

The wheels in her mind turned at impressive speeds chasing after the idea like a dog running after a fresh bone tied to the back of a speeding mail truck. Here they were, things slowly or quickly depending how you looked at it, escalating. If history had taught her anything, it was that it repeated itself. It was always someone from within in one way or another.

Sasha, Iel, Koari, Kim, Stephanie, Danielle-Lauren. All had devoured them from within, all stayed dormant for years until the right moment. All had been trusted and loved.

She glanced back at Kenzi who shot her a sympathetic smile. She had reason, she had everything taken from her quite literally. She couldn't bare children, couldn't experience love ever again. She had lost the man she loved, the next man she loved not only did she lose but betrayed her. She was addicted to a drug for so long trying to prevent the inevitable. Her world fell apart and her sister left her. Her world she picked the pieces up too was thrown out of whack again only months ago. She had a torrid affair with Lauren-it could be more than what they had led on.

She turned back to Sean who was still surveying the area as they made their way into an alleyway. He was her son but then again Danielle was her daughter. He had probably been traumatized more than anyone in this situation. His childhood and innocence were ripped away. He lost his girlfriend, his sister, his mother. He was left to pick up the pieces to a mess that wasn't his responsibility. He was thrust into a world he had no place in. And again with her return his world was once again shaken like a snow-globe. Forced to deal with unresolved emotions once again and almost losing the love of his life. He had reason.

She looked back up at the two men who didn't fit the criteria but none the less weren't free of suspicion. On the somewhat biased and less likely reasons, they were Catholic priests being forced to help a lesbian couple with their murderous child. And then on the more likely and less offensive hand they were still Fae, and Lauren their Queen had lied. She lied about killing Danielle, perhaps the whole igniter to this war that was quickly spinning out of control.

Taking her wife's hand as she felt Kenzi grab one arm and Sean the other, she squeezed through a tight space in the wall entering into darkness. She heard the same warning from each of them to hold on and stay close as they maneuvered through the darkness and down a narrow, rickety staircase.

Gripping her wife's arm tighter she couldn't help but wonder, the last member of the group. The only other possible suspect.

Lauren had more reason than any. She had lost everything over and over again only to be forced to do it again. Fae were the reason she was in this position, they had forced her into slavery and then forced her into another type of slavery as a Queen. She had lost pieces of herself with every year that passed. She had lost her relationships with her wife and son and daughter amongst others. Not to mention she had already slipped over the edge twice, maybe three times. Was it so far off she would again? Maybe this was the time she had plumbed over the edge and stayed gone. Maybe she wanted to punish the humans for turning their backs on her and punish the Fae for everything they had taken.

Maybe she had finally given into the demon within herself.

"We're here," she looked up to where the voice had come from. And with a creak a sliver of light came into sight, and with each creak it grew. "She is inside," the second Father said stepping out of the way holding his hand out toward the open door where the light was coming from.

"Are you coming?" Lauren whispered looking down at the floor. After several heartbeats of silence the blonde walked forward to the small section of light and into it. "Danielle," the name rolled off of her tongue in a heavy sigh.

"It's funny, she looks like our girl," Bo said leaning against the edge of the doorway looking at their daughter.

"She does,"

"When you look at her what do you see?"

"Bo, lets not do this now—with an audience," the blonde sighed again using the back of her hand to brush stray pieces of hair from the girl's face.

"Did you want to stay while we got the van?" Bishop Travino asked after an awkward five minutes of silence.

"No, we need to stay together," Lauren answered finally pulling her hand away from her daughter's face. "Besides, it's not as though she would know the difference,"

Bo stayed silent letting Lauren walk past her, giving her peaceful daughter one more look before following the group into the darkness. The creaks of Sean closing the door sending chills down her spine.

The hall was cold and damp, causing constant chills but she refused to say anything knowing it would cause a big discussion as to why she should have stayed or why she needed to take someone's jacket. She didn't want the attention, not at this moment. No, she needed to think, needed to think fast.

What was she going to do and when would she do it?

After what felt like an eternity they walked into a dimly lit hall, but still she had no answer. The further they walked into the light, the nicer it became. From dark, cold, damp, sewer-like conditions into what she figured more or less the Vatican would look like.

The walls clean and interracial, well taken care of. The concrete floor turning into what she assumed was some type of marble. The walls a creamish-goldish color. If this was their underground sewer type of deal then she wanted to see top side. But now wasn't the time for that, now was time to make a decision.

"How long are these tunnels?" Kenzi asked eyes shifting around in all directions.

"The duration of the city,"

"Gets nicer the deeper you go," the Bishop answered though his seemingly normal chipper and friendly attitude was missing. "Up a ways there is an old prayer room, church almost y'all are going to wait there while me and Father Lomax go the rest of the way to bring the van up,"

"Is something wrong?" Lauren asked picking up on the tone.

"It's probably nothing, worryings of an old man,"

"What is it?"

"Saw something in the shadows," this time Father Lomax answered. "Just the Devil playing tricks, no need to worry,"

"That sounds like a need to worry," Kenzi's brow tightened.

"It's just a saying when you see something in the shadows you say it's the Devil playing tricks. He feeds off of fear and panic, a sick kick for a sick being. That is all, be calm child,"

"Yeah well, the Devil's playing tricks in the shadows of **supposedly** the holiest city in the world-I think that's grounds to worry bub," Kenzi began looking behind herself becoming all too aware of every sound being made.

"I gotta agree with Aunt K on this, there is something off," Sean moved closer to his mothers and Aunt.

"Pray this is the Devil, for she can not walk onto consecrated ground, but the most viscous of his demons can," Father Lomax mumbled out through heavy breaths as he pulled a rosary from his pockets. The once completely light area slowly becoming darker and darker with each step, every sound echoing.

"Get a hold of yourself," the Bishop barked but none the less pulled his own rosary from his pants pocket.

"What's that—should we have one of those? Is that like shadow Devil replant? Devil be gone or something?"

"We're fine," Lauren assured firmly but reached behind herself grabbing her wife's hand. "We're fine, this is mass panic. It affects one person and then spreads until the entire group of people are affected-think cabin fever,"

"There's something down here," Bo whispered leaning against her wife's shoulder.

"It's just a bit further now,"

"Lauren there's something down here with us," Bo repeated just as soft but a sternness to her words.

"I heard you the first time,"

"Do you think it's Danni?" Sean asked looking behind himself into the darkness that was closing in on them. "Could she do this? How powerful is she?"

"It is not your sister, you just saw her,"

"She isn't your mother, she couldn't do anything near this even if she wasn't in veggie land," Kenzi said taking his hand.

"Then what the fuck is it?"

"Watch your language," Lauren barked slowing her steps so she could feel her son's presence on her back.

"Lauren," Bo's grip tightened as the darkness from behind them began to creep along the walls as if it was walking with them.

"Bo?"

"I got you," she answered Kenzi's call grabbing a hold of her hand. "Sean?"

"I got Aunt Kenz's hand,"

"We're almost there,"

"What happens in the darkness?" Sean asked noticing the darkness covering the walls in front of them was moving toward them as well.

"Don't let go of each other," Bo answered tightening her grips as the rest did.

"I said we're almost there," Bishop Travino called back to them again his voice echoing through the walls like his footsteps.

"Oh my God," Father Lomax said breathing continuing to labor.

"Get a hold of yourself," the Bishop looked back behind himself at the small group who had migrated together and paced had slowed till they were about twenty feet behind.

"Everyone needs to get a hold of themselves," Lauren barked her tone harsh. "I want you to listen to me we are fine. This right here, what is being experienced at the moment is like cabin fever, one shared fear spinning out of control. There is nothing in the dark. I repeat there is nothing in the dark. No devils, no demons not anything in between,"

"Lauren," Bo let out eyes focused on the ceiling as the darkness had spread up above.

"No! There. Is. Nothing. In. The. Darknes-"

"Oh MY GOD!" Father's Lomax blood curdling call cut through the air, a great swoosh of wind pushing against them. "PLEASE HELP ME! JESUS! PLEASE!" each call further than the last, each more desperate than the last.

"Do we go after them?"

"Don't move," the Bishop answered the boy through a held breath.

"If that's Danni I'm throwing in the towel now," Sean let out trying to stop the shaking in his knees.

"If it was your sister she would have gone for me or you, not the Father,"

"We need to keep moving, it isn't but a hundred feet now,"

"Move? Further into the darkness?" Kenzi snorted.

"We have no choice," he answered once again leading the charge but the strangest thing began to happen. With each step forward they took the darkness began to slip away until the dim light had returned. "Stay here,"

"Bishop-"

"I fear God and that is all if it is my time then it is my time. If I am not back in twenty minutes or anything happens run back to where we came from. Run back towards Danielle's room even through the darkness, it is a straight path that will lead to the alleyway. Do not run towards where I am going, the halls becoming intertwining and you will never find your way," he ordered cutting off the Queen. "It has been a pleasure my Queen," he took the blonde's hand in his and bowed the upper half of his body. Standing back up he turned to Bo. "And as well my Queen," he bowed again taking steps back until out into the hall and stood.

"Grandpa-Time," the call halted his steps. "If you make it back I promise to let you give me an hour of Sunday school," his head tiled, brow raising at the tiny woman. "Don't you people live to badger and convert people? Figured a little incentive,"

"Confusing me with a Jehovah's witness my child," he smirked, nodding his head already making peace with the fact he probably wouldn't be returning. "But I'll take you up on the offer anyway," it was a way to comfort the once human rather than himself.

"Sean time it," Lauren said as she watched the man vanish behind the wall.

Bo broke from the group looking around the space, a silent laugh filling her mind at the remembrance of this Bishop calling this small. If they had taken out all of the walls to their loft it would probably equal the size of where she stood now. The ceiling ridiculously high and arched with religious paintings covering every inch. She wasn't one for church, religious art or art in general but she had to admire the craftsmanship. Fifteen long black marble pews on each side, the color a nice contrast from the goldish-cream colored floor and what was uncovered of the walls.

Straight ahead of them after all of the pews and a decent spacing thirty by thirty, one foot thick platform and then a twenty by twenty one step up that where an alter sat. A near human size crucifix hanging down from behind that was the finishing touch.

She had to fight against her urge to snicker and make a smartassed comment about how this church spoke constantly for the poor yet their underground looked more expensive than most people's houses.

Then she remembered her entire outfit cost more than most people's cars.

_'How life has changed,' _she thought to herself looking back up at the intricate ceiling, she almost wished she was religious so she could enjoy it in its full quality.

"_**Have you figured it out yet Bo?"**_

The raspy, distorted voice bounced off the walls and across the ceiling like a ping pong ball. Shadows slowly creeping from the corners up the walls, the room growing darker and cooler.

"_**Who is the Judas this time around? Who betrayed you and led**_

_**you like little lambs to be slaughtered?"**_

The shadows continued to creep along the walls slithering like a serpent in the night's grass. Their exit now nothing more then a black hole.

"_**It's someone in this room but you already knew that.**_

_**Sean maybe? Already have one insane child, what's another?**_

_**Kenzi? The supposedly loving and loyal sister?**_

_**Lauren? It's not like she hasn't enjoyed the taste of blood before.**_

_**Maybe it's you? Maybe after everything you've finally snapped**_

_**under the pressure,"**_

The four unconsciously migrated together until they were a single circle standing four pews in. Eyes frantically searching what was left of the light, what was hidden in the darkness.

"_**Come on Bo, you must know by now who the black sheep is.**_

_**Say it aloud, we'll sting em' up together.**_

_**Hang your Judas from the same tree, it'll be poetic."**_

Silence as they slipped further into the cold darkness.

"_**Ever thought about how this book called the Bible**_

_**contains genocide, incest, countless murders-**_

_**brutal ones at that and it's considered**_

_**the best thing since sliced bread.**_

_**Yet, you use the same principles in another work**_

_**of fiction and you're a monster,"**_

Silence as the emptiness began to swallow them whole, their breaths now seen in the air.

"_**I was there you know, for it all**_

_**ten times bloodier, so many facts gotten wrong**_

_**but who cares about actuality as long as it serves**_

_**the self-righteous,"**_

Silence.

"_**What's a few fabrications as long as it keeps the little**_

_**people oppressed?**_

_**What's a few white lies as long as it keeps the collection**_

_**plates filled?**_

_**What's a few rules bent so long as you benefit from them?**_

_**Lauren knows all about that,**_

_**Knows all about lies of all shades,**_

_**If she isn't lying then she isn't breathing,"**_

"Come out coward," Sean yelled out his fear forming into anger.

"_**Little Able to Danielle's Cain,**_

_**think if you yell loud enough, stick your chest out enough**_

_**everyone will forget you were the little boy crying for his mother.**_

_**The little boy who stood by in the background hearing all about**_

_**how mommy didn't want you.**_

_**No she wanted Danielle though-look how that turned out.**_

_**Say, have you told them about your dreams?**_

_**Those deep, dark desires you hide away,**_

_**Perhaps you're more like mommy than we all thought,"**_

Silence.

"_**Don't worry mommy is a liar too-both of em',**_

_**Why don't you tell them how those dark tendencies aren't all that**_

_**far behind you Lauren,**_

_**Tell them how you still attend Dark Fae rituals.**_

_**Or Kenzi—share how you play favorites on which files pass**_

_**Lauren's desk.**_

_**How many innocent lives have been lost due**_

_**to your ill-place favoritism.**_

_**Or Bo,**_

_**come clean about how so many of those coos**_

_**against your wife have been because you**_

_**ran your mouth to those who laid between those**_

_**highly overrated thighs,"**_

The group looked amongst themselves, a mixture of guilt, anger and fear in each and every one of them.

"_**You aren't good people anymore,**_

_**You aren't even bad people anymore.**_

_**No, what you are**_

_**is my kind of people.**_

_**Evil,"**_

"Big claims from someone too scared to even come out and face us," Lauren barked, jaw clenched hand resting on the small of her wife's back.

"_**Fair enough,"**_

The shadows covering the walls began to slither across the walls again this time instead of spreading like a virus it contracted to a opening in the wall to the far right, one they hadn't even noticed was there until this moment.

For a long, agonizing moment it was just them. No shadows, no darkness, no distorted voice echoing through the air. Emerging through the opening was a tall, humanoid shadowy figure. It's movement gliding through the air coming to the front of the altar staring them down.

"_**He refused to leave his people,**_

_**completely stupid but admirable.**_

_**Would you die for your people Lauren?**_

_**Don't answer I already know the answer**_

_**is no,"**_

The figured floated back until hitting the altar. The shadows of its arms stretching out and back as it seemingly jumped up. Once in a full sitting position, the misty, black shadow began to evaporate. First the toes of his black boots, all the way up his legs. His hands beginning to become visible as did his bare stomach and then his chest and upper arms. Only a bloody purple with gold trim sash hanging over his neck.

"Speaker Agathon?" Lauren's left brow shot up, her eyes taking in the bloody mess that was him. His hands blood stained, smears across his abs and chest. His hair messily spiked and glistening but something told her its sparkle wasn't from gel this time.

"No—well yeah I suppose, not my real name," his voice now its cocky tone as his hands grabbed each side of the sash. "Two separate names I got from two separate characters from shows in the early 2000's. Apparently T.V. guide magazine was wrong when it named them as the top fifty timeless classics,"

"I—I don't get it. I looked into you- had dozens of people look into you," Kenzi let out in utter disbelief.

"I know,"

"I've dealt with you for years, they have proof of you being-you for over thirty five years," Lauren's hand slid around to the succubus' stomach pushing her back.

"Oh I know, I've lived this life for a very, very long time. In fact I think I've lived this life just about the same amount of time you two have been together,"

"Who are you?" this time it was Bo who spoke.

"Me? I have many names,"

"Care to share one?"

"And I have none," he smirked. "For thirty-seven years I've lived this life, just waiting for this moment,"

"Kenzi take Sean and go, run back to where we came from and don't look back,"

"And Danielle?" Sean asked as his Aunt was already pulling at his arm.

"If you can't-" she paused the world seeming to freeze as her mind flashed through every scenario, every option. "If you can terminate her-if not run and don't look back,"

"Go," Bo ordered harshly as she saw the pair debating on whether or not to leave them. "Not going to order me to follow them?"

"You wouldn't listen so what would be the point," the blonde maneuvered herself slightly in front of her wife.

"Terminate?!" he snorted out a heavy laugh. "Ah you're something Lauren, can't even stomach the thought of saying the word. Doesn't matter the order was only for your benefit Bo, she knows neither of them would go through with it,"

"I don't get-who are you-what are you?"

"Same as you only...better,"

"You sent the picture?"

"I did among other things, Skylar's care package as well,"

"And my fuck off package?" Bo asked.

"Mm-hm,"

"So you've been manipulating us this whole time?" the blonde took her turn to speak ignoring her wife's comment, unable to worry about anything but the bigger picture at the moment.

"You give me too much credit I didn't do it alone," his hands dropped to his sides gripping the ledge. "I mean I really did have ample help, you guys are really as much to thank for your downfall as I am. First there was poor ol' Danielle who in all honesty was improving so much. Sure the girl is a twisted, psychopath but she was going to be functional—until weekly visits from me of course. Oh I learned so much and then of course all I had to do was unleash her on the world, on you two. Sean—so easy to get into his mind, so easy to manipulate him into whatever I wanted. Kenzi was a little harder, a push here and a pull there eventually I got what I needed. Most recently Skylar so broken down, drinking herself into a grave doesn't even know what she's let out anymore let alone to who." He leaned back smirk growing until it twisted his lips into a smile. "Shall I go on? I mean it was really pathetic how easy it was, how much damage you all did to yourselves, barely saved any work for me,"

"Fine you got us-you manipulated us. I'm assuming you're the one responsible for the President's death so now you'll take her spot, congratulations,"

"You're jumping so far ahead, I've been planing this for decades, don't ruin it now. Don't you want to know who the biggest helper of all was? Don't you want to know who set it **ALL **in motion. And believe me girls when I say all I mean ALL, all the way back to Syra and Sasha,"

"You have me confused with someone else, I don't play games," Lauren grabbed her wife's arm attempting to pull her back toward their exit.

"Who are you kidding child? All of this has been one big game. You've been making moves for years you just never realized,"

"Let's go,"

"I have to know," Bo's eyes were narrow and dark almost cold as they met her wife's. "I need to know,"

"No you don't. We don't have the upper hand here for all we know this is all just a game to keep us here,"

"What if it isn't? Don't you want to know? Don't you need to know,"

"What if it is," the blonde's grip tightening on the succubus' arm to the point of pain.

Bo's mouth opened to spit back another contradiction. Ready to jerk her arm away and step out from her wife's shadow that she had been standing in for most of this. That was until the soft pitter-patter of steps caught their attention. It was too late now the answer was just moments away and whatever trap this had been they were captured. It was all over.

From the same place he had once emerged came the frame of a slender, petite woman. Her bronze skin covered by a black silk, spaghetti strapped dress and nothing else. Her bare feet like her hands died a deep maroon, the off-putting color of dried blood. Her jet black, breast length hair hung down in her face concealing her identity even as she neared the alter.

Both took a breath and held it as they watched this woman walk onto the bottom step of the platform, standing almost in front of him but just enough to the left so he could still be seen.

Slowly, almost teasingly the woman raised her head. Hair falling back as she did just enough for them to get a clear sight of who it was.

Lauren's hand dropped from her wife's arm, her body turning back toward the alter. Her narrow, skeptical eyes widening. Stern, demanding features transiting to that of a brokenhearted child. A whimperish squeak escaping the first time she had tried to speak as her held breath mixed with her feeble attempt at words.

"Mother...?"


	34. Not With A Bang

A.N. A big shout out and thanks to Olansamuelle for beta-ing this chapter. You are still amazing!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Not With A Bang…**

"Apparently, sweet little Danni isn't the only one with mommy issues,"

"I don't—I don't—"

"Let me guess, you don't understand?" he snorted. "What is it you don't get Lauren? How it's been me all these years right under your nose? I mean, shit, I left so many breadcrumbs for you but yet you just never seemed to connect the dots," he leaned back with a huff. "So many times within the past few months I practically signed a confession for you,"

"Bullshit, you hid like a coward, just like you did earlier," Bo barked in defense of her wife.

"Is that so?" his eyebrow raised, hands extending to his sides as he leaned back. "Four packages sent to four separate people and they could have all been traced back to me had any of you been slightly less concerned with yourselves." the condescending tone of his voice only growing with each word. Smirk playing over his lips as his eyes danced over the pair. "Wanna-be-bad-girl Skylar was so wrapped up in her own little broken heart; she never stopped to think who had sent it let alone who could have possibly gotten the information. Might want to find a new Head of Security, she has obviously slipped." Lauren's features wrenched remembering her former lover's reaction the night they had broken up. A new pain, a new wave of shame and guilt imagining just what proof of her indiscretions could have been sent. So many of Skylar's words from that night making so much more sense now. "Everyone's fake sister was so afraid of being forgotten and to busy making your choices for you, Lauren, she didn't even pay attention to hers. Too busy trying to play the part of someone else's life," his smirk only grew noticing the subtle twinge of Bo's eye along with the clenching of her jaw. She was trying so hard not to show emotion, not to play into his game and give him what he was looking for, but the harder she tried the more she let slip. "Pathetic," he snorted under his breath more as a thought that had escaped him rather than a direct insult. Eyes rolling as he saw Lauren's hand move to the small of her wife's back. "Who's left? Ah yes, the self-acknowledging whore of a wife you have is always ready to point out every lie of yours, yet she didn't mention hers-too afraid it was actually from you I suppose. And then the one that brought you here-so worried about **your** precious daughter you didn't even think about looking into who sent the picture or why. Nope, you strapped on your rainbow colored cape, grabbed you pregnant wife, ex-druggie flunky and mama's boy, and came running,"

Silence.

"Or there was the time in your office, our first little three-way, I nearly lost control right there. I don't do well being challenged. But that one is on you too Bo, I saw you noticed something was off, yet again you kept your mouth shut. Why? Wrapped up in another lover's spat was it? Or another Danni issue-" his lips puckered as he lazily tried to contain a laugh. "Who the hell am I kidding? They're kind of one in the same aren't they?"

Silence.

"I could point out any of the million and one accounts where I was just always there. Always there to push the situation just a little further, dig the hole a little deeper. Always knew just a little too much about some things I had no business knowing,"

Silence.

"Or maybe when I all but came right out and said it to your face. _Veritas Diaboli manet in aeternum_, Devil's truth remains eternally? You've read Sasha's diaries so many times," his head shook like a parent to a disobedient child. He paused enjoying a twisted rush of pleasure as he watched Bo's defenses break. Her face twisting into disbelief as she turned to look at her wife, who had refused to do the same. "I'm sure you could practically recite them word for word yet—nothing. Hell you could have even looked it up afterward," he tilted his head eyes shifting back to Bo. "She still has them hidden away in her office," she took only a small step to the side but it was enough that Lauren's hand fell from her back.

Lauren's suddenly unoccupied hand clenched into a weak fist. A slight tug at her heart that Bo had pulled away from her touch, away from her reassurance that no matter what she was going to protect the succubus. She didn't need to turn to face her wife to know the emotions that were wrecking her features. She didn't need her heightened ability of hearing to knowing her wife's heart was pounding with fear or hear her labored breaths to know she was trying to keep from making a noise. She didn't need her heightened sense of smell either to know that salty tears were gathering in the corners of her wife's eyes. She didn't even really need their connection to know just how hurt Bo was by her actions.

She wanted to turn and hold her wife, take her by the hand and tell her she was sorry. Sorry for it all, even the things that weren't her fault—she just wanted to make the pain stop. She wanted to look her in those beautiful, sorrow filled eyes and tell her she loved her. She wanted this to be a moment like all the rest in the past where she could make it better with a touch, a kiss, a word-but this wasn't like those times. No, now she couldn't do anything but stand there and remain calm. Remain the stone bitch she had known how to be because that was all they had at this moment. She knew people. She knew people like him. A predator that once smelled fear would pounce.

Her wife couldn't help but show it. And that was fine, it was her turn to be the protector for once when it didn't include lying or some devious, underhanded behavior. For once she could be Bo's hero and hold her head high about it.

"Looking for a congratulations? Fine: congratulations, you pulled one over on us—on me," the blonde's eyes shifted from him back to her mother where they had been for most of his speech.

"You don't need to say it Lauren, your face—both of your faces have been saying it ever since the moment you stepped into this room," once again tilting his head, this time toward Reyna even though all he could see was the back of her head. "You want to tell them your part, love, or shall I?"

She remained silent as she stood there like his own personal doll. Her hands folded in front of her lap, her head down and tilted to the side almost as if she was posing for them. Her eyes locked on the floor never moving, her face never making an expression other than the somber one she had entered with.

"Tell your daughter and her wife how it's been you behind the shadows all along, tell them how you've done far more damage than I ever did," he paused, smile fading at her unwillingness to participate. "Fine, be a bitch, I'll do it." He snorted shaking his head like an overworked laborer. Turning his attention back to Lauren with a gleeful smile, everything about him screaming just how much he was enjoying this. "Mommy dearest here was the one who began filling Syra and Sasha's head with all those pesky little ideas. Through the entire time she pulled Syra's strings like a little, dancing puppet, which moves to make which plays to play. Killing Sasha wasn't even about saving you it was about keeping that killer in you dormant longer until we needed you. It was her who gave Koari the visions," he held up his hands doing quotation marks for the last word, his voice catching on a suppressed laugh. "She knew who Akuma was the whole time. She brought Sonya into the picture to control your brother, she was supposed to do for him what she herself was doing for you. Guess she likes to play favorites too. Who was the other sleeper cell?" pausing again he put on an over-dramatized, thinking face. "Iel. She had cozied up to Kenzi so much she had a play-by-play book to give him, she even told him when to activate. Truth be told he wasn't supposed to blow his cover when he did but good ol' Reyna here felt he had outlived his use. Did I get it all? I feel like I'm forgetting something big here, hm," pausing he tilted his head back and forth almost humming 'hm' for a good five seconds. "Oh yeah," he smirked a smirk of hidden knowledge at Lauren before turning to Bo when his smirk turned to a sickening smile. "Bo it was your mother-in-law who killed you grandfather. To be fair she didn't really want that to happen but he had spotted her one day and like the anal-retentive-asshole he was, he couldn't just let it go so chop, chop, chop," he laughed at Bo's escaped whimper as he smacked the back of his right hand against the palm of his left with each spoken 'chop'.

Lauren took a deep breath trying to keep the logical part of her brain active rather than feeling the full impact of his words. She didn't have time to focus on the betrayal of her mother, or her growing hatred for this man. She needed to stay calm and logically work her way through this. Work it through like any other problem put in her way. Staying silent, keeping emotionless she reached her hand out just enough to grab her wife's. This time the succubus didn't pull away but tighten the grip, whether it was intentionally or on reaction was up for debate.

"Why? You had saved us so many times, you had told me so many times how to fix issues-that **you** created," Bo's voice broke as her tears from earlier began to gloss back over her eyes.. "You and Trick had been—why?"

"Speak," he gave permission that was more of an order and so she looked up past her daughter to Bo.

"He just wouldn't leave it alone." her angelic features statuesque as she looked at her daughter-in-law. The light and life that once radiated off her like rays from the sun nowhere to be seen. "I tried but he refused and then he had called that night-he was going to warn you two and I couldn't have it, not yet,"

Lauren's grip tightened on the succubus' trembling hand. It took every ounce of strength not to turn to her wife or pull her into her arms. For so many years they had wondered what had happened to him. Searched for his body, for his killer and always turned up empty. Never did they have the closure they had longed and now here it was. Right in their face they had their answers, the how and the why and the where. But as unfair as life always seemed to be in the grand scheme of things these were facts that didn't matter all that much now.

"What were you waiting for?" Lauren spoke in a whisper.

"For you to be fully ascended. For you and Danielle and Sean to be ascended so you could come home. So we could take this world and the others, **together** as a family,"

"A family? What about Eric, mother? What about Bo? What about Kenzi? What about Dyson and Hale and Markus and Audrey? What about everyone else? They are my family—they were my family!"

"Your brother was an accident. He died protecting you and every day I mourn him, Sonya too. She may not have been my blood-**our blood** but I had raised her, I cared for her as I did you and him. What they had was real and I wish they could be here with us in these coming days," her head dipped back down again. "But Bo and Kenzi—they can't,"

"Meaning what exactly?" Lauren's mind began to focus more on their surroundings then what was being said.

"Meaning your wife is gonna have to go bye-bye," he chuckled, unnecessarily holding his hand up and wiggling his fingers. "But don't worry she'll have excellent company. That brat of yours-both of em' actually and probably a couple billion others,"

"What?" Reyna let out her head rising as the word left her lips, the shock and disbelief written over her face.

"And her mother-in-law," the two didn't see his movement or even see him but instead watched helplessly, fearfully as Reyna's eyes widened and her features twisted from shock to pain. Her lips parting to speak words that would never be known. A flowing line of blood slipping from the corner of her mouth. "Sorry lover, you've outlived your usefulness," his words muffled by a cringe worthy echoing sound of bones cracking. His left hand resting on the back of her head pushing her down as he pulled the right from inside of her back. Neither woman able to believe not only what had happened but the fact that as he pulled his arm from her from the elbow down it was no longer a man's arm. No, this was a beast's arm. Three times as thick, the skin a pale blueish-gray, fingers long and thick with razor sharp nails. "Shame, she was such a good fuck," his eyes widened, hand raising up. Though as it rose through the air it began gaining color and shrinking until the time his fingers reached his lips it was again the arm of a man. "I just said fuck in the Vatican—ooops I did it again,"

"We really need to revisit your idea of running," Bo didn't bother to whisper pulling at the back of the wife's jacket.

"You could try but wouldn't make a difference,"

"He's right, it's all over now," it wasn't defeat or shock that plagued her words but a sense of peace. It was a clean and cut sentence as if she was reading it form a text book. She could feel her wife's sweaty hand begin to tremble again even through her tight embrace. She took a deep breath her mind finishing connecting the last dots to what she knew she'd have to do.

"The hell it is," the succubus let out, not believing Lauren's words. She took a step back eyes locking on Lauren's features that never more than this moment mirrored her mother's. Taking a deep breath she looked back at the man in front of them though her eyes scanned the area now realizing she was going to have to strap on her big girl boots. This wasn't home or some bullshit issue that she could manipulate her way through. No amount of fear, pouting or playing the damsel in distress would help them through this. Pregnant or not she couldn't allow her wife to believe this was then end. She couldn't allow herself to believe this was the end, not now, not with everything riding on them making it out of this. Their new babies, their new life, their new love-no she couldn't allow this to be the end.

"You know, I had it all planed out to emerge from the White House. I was going to be a big, bad ass Fae, the crumble beneath my feet type. Something like a Hitler or Castro or one of those useless fucks but once again Lauren you just outdo yourself," he leaned back against the altar. "Now I get to emerge from the Vatican-I get to be the fuckin' anti-Christ!" His deep, growl of a laugh bounced off the wall, the air growing crisp. "People will kill themselves just out of fear, the world will collapse, conspiracy theorist will cream themselves, always talking about how the church was evil and IF an anti-Christ existed he would be coming from here. Although in honesty I think they were expecting it to actually be someone who lived here, you know, like the guy I'm wearing," he looked down at his bloodstained body and gave a shrug.

"We run he'll show his face, rip the world apart and then kill us. We give in—he'll kill us. We run, we throw what we have at him everyone will know what we are-we'll kill each other before we even get near him," she continued to look forward but there was something about her tone, the softness in her voice, the way her grip lessened on her wife's hand that made the succubus know she was talking to her.

"Good to see that brain is still working doctor,"

"Then what-Lauren," she grabbed her wife's arm with her free hand, fear as evident in her voice as it was on her face.

"**You** can get to Kenzi, tell her to call Casey Graham and authorize an A6 order," her voice threatened to break on every word, her hands shaking though her eyes stayed locked with his for fear if she faced her wife she would finally break. "I can hold him long enough for that," she nodded her head as if trying to convince herself.

"For what? What is that?"

"It's a Fae military order. She's wants you to give the order to send this place to hell," Bo's teary eyes went from him back to the blonde who was still refusing to look at her. "She wants **you** to give the order that will kill her,"

"I can hold him," Lauren said, this time with more conviction behind her words, turning to face the succubus her own tears threatening to fall. "I can hold him long enough for you to get out of here, to get our son and Kenzi and get far enough away,"

"And you?" the succubus looked at her doe-eyed not completely grasping the meaning behind her wife's words. "What about you Lauren?" tears welling in her eyes, her subconscious already realizing the sad truth before her mind was ready to accept it.

"Yeah," she nodded with a soft smile tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I'm not leaving you! I'm not-"

"This isn't about us. This is about our babies, about our son, about a billion other innocent lives,"

"Lauren I can't-" she shook her head repeatedly, helplessly.

"You can!" Lauren's forceful assurance came as she grabbed her wife by the arms and began pushing her back toward the exit. Their tears now freely streaming down both of their cheeks, making any visibility left for them in the dark near impossible. Despite the succubus' best efforts she couldn't push the blonde to a stop. "You **have** to," she whispered once in the darkness of the hall, her words having the same strength and conviction behind them as before yet a soft plea laid beneath them, one that could have easily been missed.

Bo's flexed shoulder blades dug into the wall to the point of pain. Her legs shook with an unusual weakness in her knees that had she not been holding onto the blonde's shoulders she would have collapsed to her knees. She felt her world spinning out of control, a ride on a rollercoaster she didn't remember getting on. The worse part though was not the ride but the fact that everything seemed to be going in slow motion yet still out of her reach. She couldn't seem to catch up, couldn't seem to think fast enough for the right words—the right actions. A whimper escaping as Lauren's hands released their grip on her arms and moved to her face.

"I love you. I love you **so much **Bo. No matter what I've ever said or done, no matter what's happened it's only ever been you,"

"Lauren,"

"I promise," her voice broke as she let her head dip forward till her forehead was resting on her wife's, eyes closing as she did. "On everything I will fight to make it back to you," it wasn't a lie she was going to fight, fight harder than she ever had before and ideally it would be to make it back to her wife but she knew the reality of it all. She would fight and it would be for her wife, her children, her family, and a billion other families—but she knew making it back was one promise that was unattainable.

"I can't," the succubus just kept repeating each time softer then the last, her own eyes closing, and tears falling so freely she couldn't see regardless. Each time the two words past her lips memories of the two of them rushed back to her. "Lauren I **can't**,"

"You **can**. You **will**," she leaned in the rest of the way pressing a rough kiss to her wife's lips, fearing if it was anything less than rough anything deeper than that she wouldn't be able to let go. "Now go!" she growled stepping back from her wife, pulling her desperately grasped at hands free.

"Finally," he faked a yawn as she backed in from the darkness. "Oh don't worry she won't be able to get in," the blonde just stared at the illusion of a wall the darkness created. "She'll cry probably yell for a bit, aimlessly try and find her way back until she'll wander her way out,"

"I know who you are,"

"Well I would certainly hope so by now," he snorted.

"Why?"

"Why? Why? Why? Why?" his snort this time was far more violent, his hands slamming on the altar, the stone cracking under the lackluster hit. "Why what Lauren?"

"Why kill all of these innocent people-when **I'm** what you want?"

"Well, you took longer to get here than expected, so I was bored, plus some of the others got in my way," he paused smiling. "But you don't mean just today," Silence. "Is there someone who you really mean to ask about? Because I know you don't care much for the bodies scattered around this building. Or the people in the streets dropping by the dozens. Nor the ones your daughter slaughtered because of some weird, underlining need to impress you. Not even the sight of your mother's body does much to disturb your ridged heart. After all can you really mourn someone you didn't really know-at all? Though you did take her name, adopt her persona, walk in her shoes—happy to be her daughter in name, in idea but that was really all though, wasn't it? Her betrayal didn't cut deep—no more than the wolf's all those years ago,"

"You believe you know me so well," her sniff came out more as a cynical snort, her tears quickly coming to an end, the remainder of the fallen drying on her puffy cheeks.

"I do. I know you better than your mommy-loving children, your wife and all your pathetic little admirers. Better than your parents-both sets. I know you better than you know yourself. I've watched you, studied you, become one with you. I know your next move before you do. When I heard that my son had lived, I imagined this moment between myself and him, but **you** killed him. You proved you were a far more worthy advisory." he smiled a cold smile and pulled the sash from his neck letting it fall to the ground. "When I finally took this sorry excuse for a world I wanted a fight." he held his fists up, his overzealous smile fading as disappointment took it's place. "What I'm going to get may not quite even up to my hopes but-it'll have to do,"

"Might be surprised," she whispered to herself glaring at him through at dead stare.

"Sorry dear," he continued to smirk stepping down from the platforms, his steps full of bounce. "Speak up-" his words had hardly finished passing his lips and she was on top of him, balled fist aiming for his stomach with such speed he was barely able to avoid the blow.

Taking a step to the left, the blow went right past. Feeling his presence and only getting a glimpse from the corner of her eye she through her left elbow back. Keeping his feet planted firmly he just leaned back to avoid the attack. Spinning around, she threw a series of forceful punches. Each one he smacked away, like a child swatting away a fly. Lessening the force behind the unfruitful punches she tried various times to throw in a knee or body-kick but just like her punches he swatted them away.

"Maybe you should have been left in the lab," he laughed while using his left hand to block an incoming knee, and using his right open palm to slam against the chest. He hit hardly using any of his strength, yet was enough to send her flying back five feet into the edge of a pew. "Maybe you should have been put out to die like you did your daughter,"

A low growl from her echoed through the church drowning out his chuckle. Looking up from the ground her eyes where their 'new' shade of icy, green. Her features tightened with anger, with fear, with her lower canines ascended. Lauren lunged at him with such speed and force, he was barely able to lift his arm up in front of himself. To his surprise the woman wasn't as tentative as he had originally thought when he found her teeth ripping through his flesh, biting down to the bone.

Grabbing her by the back of her hair and giving a rough pull. This time his growl echoing throughout as she made sure to take a mouth full of his flesh with herself. Pulling his arm back he slapped her across the face, a mixture of her own and his blood flying past her lips as she tumbled to the floor sliding six pews back.

The instant gravity took effect. She maneuvered onto her knees and dove back up at him. With a swat of his bloodied arm she was back on the ground. Hiking his leg up and back, he waited for a moment until she was looking up at him rather than the ground. The moment her eyes met his, the bottom of his boot landed against her face, enough power behind it that she fell onto her back sliding two pews short of the blackened exit.

"You never can decide what you are, can you? Are you human—are you Fae—are you good -are you bad?" he just laughed to himself looking down at his wound, now nearly healed.

His eyes shifted back to the blonde who was moving back onto her knees. Continuing to laugh to himself, knowing she'd try and lunge again or possibly run at him. As she pushed herself to her feet his eyes tried to stay locked on her but she was too fast. So fast that she only seemed to reappear after every four or five pews.

And for just a split second he had lost track of her, which was all Lauren had needed. Seemingly reappearing to his right, she kicked out her blow, finally landing, his body hunching over as he stumbled two steps back, several of his ribs breaking under the blow. Blood exploded from his mouth muffling his growl. Not wasting an opportunity she spun out delivering a round-house kick so hard she was sure his jaw wasn't the only thing that had broken.

Sliding out so she was more or less in front of him, ignoring the self-inflicted pain in her ankle, she wanted to take as much of an advantage of his shock and pain as she could. Body reacting more on instinct than anything, she jumped up into the air and kicked both feet out, the bottoms of her shoes slamming into his chest with a thud. His body flying back by fifteen feet, only stopping when he hit the altar. Vanishing and reappearing before he realized what had happened, she backhanded him across his healing jaw.

Daring fate she tried again, but this was one attack too many. Throwing his head forward, his forehead breaking her nose. Tilting his head back, he thrust his palm up hitting both her throat and chin. The woman was thrown backwards through the air into the pews, landing on the top ledge of one before falling to the floor.

Her teary eyes opened, her mind taking a moment before realizing what had just happened and where she was. One moment she was staring him in the face and now she was laying on the cold, hard floor gazing out into darkness. With a groan she rolled from her stomach onto her back, taking deep shallow breaths, her lungs burning with each. She knew her healing had increased exponentially, but never had she put it to a test of this magnitude. Raising her hands to her face, she snapped her nose back into place, a whimper escaping her as did tears.

"Ready to call it quits, little girl?"

"Just like a man," she groaned, each hand grabbing the seats to her sides and pulling herself up. "Always wanting to skip to the end after just a couple seconds of action," she walked out from in between the pews and back into the aisle.

Frustration building within him, he lunged through the air at her. Where he beat her in strength, she had the upper hand in athleticism, jumping clean over him. Though she found herself on the floor just the same. The ground shook with such a force at his impact that she couldn't catch her balance. Looking behind herself she found him crouched down in a ball, the floor five feet around him in all directions obliterated.

She could hear his snarl growing louder and louder with each breath. The two stood up in union, though he still hadn't turned to face her. Blood freely fell down his arm like an ocean, quickly creating a pool on the ground. He twisted his body around mid-air as he lept toward her, backing her up against the altar. With nowhere else to go, Lauren was forced to use her arms to block his rabid punches, which never seemed to stop coming. Her bones breaking and healing as fast as his punches could land. Gritting her teeth to the point of pain, unable to take the punishment any longer, she let his left fist hit her shoulder, breaking it. Growing used to the pain it wasn't such a shock, her mind still able to function allowed her to act. Bringing her own left hand up and over, she grabbed and snapped his wrist. Bringing her right knee up into his crotch, then lashing out with her foot, she was able to kick his left knee breaking it.

As he grunted in pain she reached up through the pain grabbing him by the back of the head and bringing her own forehead into his face twice. And on the third time she spun to the side slamming his face down onto the marble, the stone, like his bones, cracking on impact.

She knew she'd regret it but she needed a break. She let go of him and stumbled off the platforms back into the main aisle. Her bones, breaks, cuts and bruises were all healing moments after they happened, but the pain itself was unbearable. She wasn't like her wife, she didn't brawl frequently. The pain of being hit repeatedly wasn't something she was used to. Sure a few slaps and occasional hits in her and her wife's aggressive, primal sexual escapades were nothing. Even in an average fight she had learned to take. But taking blows from someone stronger than her repeatedly was not something she was used to, nor did she think she could take much more of.

Taking a deep breath, her mind began to process two questions. One, logically how much longer until Bo would be out and order the attack. And two, just how much longer her body could continue like this.

It had been months since her last real, adequate feeding. Her body was holding up decently now, but it had only been minutes-just how long until the months of fasting caught up?

For a moment he stood with his forehead pressed against the stone allowing his bones to heal. But moments were all either was going to take or rather give. Turning to face her his bloody featured were far tighter and mirrored her's. Though all four of his canine teeth were ascended/descended by two inches, while the four teeth next to them by one. Very reminiscent of how Akuma had looked when they fought.

With a snarl he charged at her, determined to use his superior strength, age and appearance to beat her as he'd beaten so many before her.

Already anticipating just what he intended, she prepared. Before he hit her, she lept up and over him once again but instead of passing him over she landed on his back, sending them to the floor, another hole cracking along its surface. Reaching around his back, he grabbed her ankle and gave a pull sending her onto the floor herself.

Pulling his leg up he kicked out the blow, landing against the ribs once again, sending her sliding along the floor till hitting a pew. She could feel her ribs healing, but this time the relief wasn't instant. Cursing to herself, she knew her end was quickly approaching. She couldn't help but wonder if she had been at full strength if she could have lasted longer.

If she could have beat him—or at least made it a fair fight.

She may have been an ascended Fae, but he was the original Fae. She couldn't help but wonder what that meant. What were the Fae underneath it all? What was he? What was she? Were they the same? Were they different than the rest?

She knelt on the ground holding herself up on her hands and knees, blood falling from her mouth.

"Wh-what are you?"

"I thought you said you knew that,"

"I know who you are but-not what,"

He remained silent as he walked over to her. Upon reaching her, he looked the bloody mess over before delivering a savage kick to her newly healed ribs. After the fourth time, she collapsed onto the ground. She tried to push herself back up but he pressed his foot against her shoulder blade pushing her back down.

"I am a God, a Devil, a demon, an angel. I am everything and yet nothing. I was around for it all from the first world and the first humans. I am the oldest and most powerful. I have no real name—not one I acknowledge any way," he snorted. "Daddy issues," he began lessening the weight of his foot. "You know people have fought for centuries whether they are God made or evolution made-truth be told it was both. I should know, I was there before humankind," he sighed removing his foot all the way. "I know, I know I can practically hear your little science-loving mind spinning into darkness,"

She coughed out a mouthful of blood taking deep breaths.

"I remember watching the pathetic first wave of your kind-well their kind. It wasn't even a sport killing them after awhile. So easy. Others just bowed down to me—not that it saved them,"

"What was the problem then?" she asked forcing herself onto her back.

"They get all the credit as they just sit on the side lines doing NOTHING. Me? I'm the one here! I'm the one living in the disgusting, pathetic filth with all of them, all of you. I came to love man, accept him for what he was and not what he should be. I welcomed them but after the two illusive big guys-well there was just no love left for me, no place for me. I'm just a grouped in, unmentioned footnote in the Bible. A bed time story for my own kind whose only existence is because of me. No one remembers me and **I am** the one to fear. Not God. Not the Devil. Not you. Me. If these two are so scary, so powerful then where are they now?" he held his arms out looking around their surroundings mocking the thought that either would dare do something. "**Nowhere.** I am about to destroy everything they created and love and yet all I have trying to stop me is **you**,"

She used her feet and pushed her sore body across the floor.

"You, a descendent **of mine**. Another child **of mine**. It's a shame my heart froze long ago, otherwise I would be," he paused looking back down at her. "I don't know. Saddened? Touched?"

"She's gotten out by now-this place will be gone any second,"

"Fine. Even better," he chuckled walking up to her. "When they blow this place into dust, I will rise from the flames and it will do nothing more than add to my image. Tell me," he keeled down, using his left hand to grab her face. "Which is my best angle for the camera," he turned his face from left to right. "No opinion?"

He shrugged with a sigh. Leaning down he placed a forceful, lingering kiss to her bloodied lips. His fingertips digging into the skin of her cheeks while crushing her jaw. Pulling back till the tip of his nose grazed hers, his eyes peering into hers as his tongue darted out over his lips.

"Taste just like your mother," leaning back down he stuck his tongue out dragging it from her jaw up to her temple. "Mmm, maybe even sweeter," his grip tightened as he pulled back taking in the sight of her. "Goodbye my child," he whispered slamming her head against the ground once, twice, three times. Stopping for a single heartbeat, his eyes moved over her beaten body. Upon seeing her chest was still rising and falling, he began slamming her head against the ground over and over.


	35. But with a Whimper

**Beta-ed by the amazing Olansamuelle. Thank you all for the continuous reading, reviewing, faves and follows. Loving all the feedback I've been getting. And I know it's been a little intense but I hope you're all still enjoying as we near the very end. **

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**Chapter Thirty-Four: But with a Whimper**

On the ground the blonde tried with every ounce of strength she had left to crawl away, but with each inch what she got was another merciless kick to her ribs and stomach. Choking out a mouthful of her own blood, she let her arms give out, falling flat against the cold ground. Looking out through her blurred vision she stared out into the darkness, taking a small comfort in knowing Bo would be free by now.

"You had to have known that this was inevitable," his words passed his smug lips, eyes running over her form. He used the front of his boot to flip her back onto her back. "You had to have known this day would come," his foot rested on her sternum just enough pressure to keep her from breathing easily. "You had to have known there was no other way,"

"Fuck you," she choked on the words as much as the blood that continued to gather in the back of her throat. She knew she was staring right back up at him, but the sweat, blood and pain kept her from seeing anything other than fuzzy shapes.

"Fuck me?" he stared down at her blankly, pressure of his foot lessening. "Fuck me," he repeated smirking to himself. "Cute," he mouthed it silently to himself three times, nodding his head before chuckling. Removing his foot he leaned down grabbing her crucifix, giving it a tug and ripping it off. "Won't be needing that," lazily he tossed it away. "Like you or not, NO child of mine should be wearing one-especially an ascended one such as yourself,"

"Didn't know there was a dress code to fight you," her words broken, low, gargled but as long as there was still air in her lungs she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had won.

"Have to give it to you, child—you've got some fight in you," his features grew pensive as he looked up toward the ceiling, a heavy sigh escaping. "You know I had shared your mother's sentiments, I really did for the longest. It was going to be all of us taking these worlds one at a time until they crumbled at our feet. We'd transcend beyond anything ever known. And once the worlds were ours, then we'd take Hell and Heaven. It would all be ours but then I realized Reyna had you and her grandchildren, but me-you all would have eventually turned on me. And then you would have turned on your mother until it was just you and your babies," he snorted eyes dancing over the intricate works of art. "You all would have betrayed me as my father did, and that I couldn't have," he shook his head swallowing at the dryness in his throat, a rare calm sincerity to his words. "Deep down you know it's true," he looked back down to see that during his musings, Lauren had moved back onto her stomach dragging herself forward, getting a good seven pews away. "That I am not to blame for how this turned out,"

"You betrayed him first,"

"What?" the earlier sincerity to his voice missing replaced with a deep, raspy growl. "What did you say to me?!" his growling yell echoed as he stomped over to her, a new rage awakened within him. "What did you fucking say to me?!" the second he grew within reach, he leaned down grabbing the back of her hair pulling her back. But instead of finding a fearful cowering woman or even a broken woman, he found himself yelling out in pain and stumbling back. "Fucking bitch!" he growled taking another step backwards, hands cupping his right eye. He continued to growl out obscenities at her removing his hand every couple of seconds to check the rate of the bleeding. Though the strangest thing was happening, while his pain may have been subsiding his bleeding wasn't. "What the fuck did you do to me?!" he growled dropping his hands to find her leaning half way against one of the pews, a weak smile on her lips.

"Damn, missed your eye," her eyes focusing in on the large gash that started on his cheekbone just under his eye and went across up half an inch past his eyebrow. "Rhodium," she gave a gargled chuckle holding up her discarded piece of jewelry. "Hurt?" her only response a growl as he wiped the gushing liquid away. "Good,"

"You're going to need more than that to save yourself," snarling he stomped back over to her, once again going to bend down but stopped at the faint sound of an engine's whistle crack through the air.

"Afraid?" she smirked through her pain. "Won't be long now,"

"Do you know how many people are going to die for you simply **trying** to kill me?"

"See the thing is, I don't think you know if you can survive this,"

"Keep dreaming kiddo," he growled again gripping her by the throat and pulling her up. Holding her in the air with one hand, he used the other to deliver repeated blows to her ribs.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" his attention shot toward the familiar voice coming from the darkness finding Bo emerging from it.

Internally she smiled to herself her words the same from so many years ago when she tried to be her wife's hero against Lauchlan. She kept her head tilted toward him with a brave face but her eyes went straight past unable to face him yet. Her courage coming in waves rather than a constant stream. Sighing to herself as more of a release of pain at the constant kicking to her kidneys coming from her twins rather than a sigh of regret. Swallowing back her growing nausea she forced herself to look him in the eye like a young girl staring down the monster from beneath her bed.

"How did you find your way back here?" his grip tightened preventing the blonde from speaking.

"Does it matter?"

"No-no not really,"

"Okay,"

"Okay," he repeated, uninjured eyebrow raising as his head turned to Bo. "I'm sorry, are you back to try and fight me? Is that what's happening right now, Bo? Because I think that would be the funniest thing I've ever heard, and I've been around a while. Please tell me that's why you're here," he genuinely laughed forgetting momentarily about the pain from his cut and the rage it was bringing out in him.

Lauren's tear and blood filled eyes watched her wife in horror, a stabbing of pain and fear ripping its way through her heart like a scolding poker. Bo was supposed to be far from here by now. She and their unborn babies were supposed to be with their son and Kenzi running far, far away and yet here she stood. As much as fear and pain plagued her, or rather ripped through her causing more havoc than anything this man had done, she couldn't help the twinge of anger. Anger that Bo hadn't listened to her. Anger that she had come back and put herself in danger—put their unborn children in danger. Anger at herself because she felt as though she had failed them all over again.

Her feet kicked wildly only the toes of her shoes able the reach the ground. Her nails digging deep into the flesh of his forearm as she tried to twist and turn her head within his hold. Her lips parted desperate to order her wife away once more. Desperate to draw his attention back to her giving Bo a chance to run like hell but it was too late. Her windpipe was being crushed under the massive force of his hold and her beaten body too weak to fight him off.

"No,"

"No?"

"No," she shook her head, nostrils flaring as she took further steps in trying desperately to keep her eyes on him and not her wife who fell to the floor with a thud.

Lauren tried to reach out as she stared up at her wife but like every other attempt she had made it failed. Unshed tears began to spill over knowing with every step her Bo took was another step closer to death. Her legs tried to push at the ground but there was no more strength just pain. She had pushed her body further then she had before and it had finally reached her limit. She wasn't made to fight, she wasn't made to take beatings like this. Ascended or not she was at the end of the day a politician who knew how to flex all the right ways so she never was tested.

And now laying here staring up helplessly at her wife she wished on everything she could be that person. She wished she could be a fighter and everything else her wife was. A part of her even wished she could slip back into darkness if only for a bit so she could do what needed to be done.

"Well, then I find this all suddenly very boring. Confusing all be it, but boring," he just looked at her with a smirk as she continued to come closer. "Okay I'll bite-what are you here for?"

"Doesn't matter,"

"I'm sorry am I missing something?" he looked from the succubus down to Lauren who was still weakly reaching out to her wife, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks.

"My wife has always been a person of science. Me, I've been more a person of faith—maybe not in the traditional way but in my own. And all anyone has ever said to me was that I wasn't meant to be. I was some un-seeable wreaking ball that broke everyone's plan into tiny pieces of shit. For so long I took it as an insult, but I think I've finally come to terms with it. I think I understand the meaning behind it," she inhaled deeply through her nose, a sudden chill shooting down her spine under his intense and constant gaze.

"I'm sorry, do I look like Oprah to you? I asked why you were here, not about your most recent breakthrough,"

"Bo—you can't be here-" Lauren's soft whisper begging her, her windpipe finally healed enough to speak.

"It's okay baby, it's okay I know what I'm doing," Bo nodded tears slipping from her eyes as she looked down at the mess that was her wife. Fighting every instinct inside of her to bend down and try and help her wife. "I know what I'm doing," giving a shaky smile she assured her. "I can do this—and so can you," she swallowed back the rest of her tears as she walked past her wife and then him, who just stared at her with a curiosity.

"Most interesting," smirking, he turned his back to Lauren and watched the succubus walk up to the altar, turning around to face the man.

"I know what I'm doing," she whispered as her eyes remained locked with him. "I know what I'm doing," she repeated to herself as she dropped to her knees with a thud. Swallowing the lump in her throat, and ignoring the constant kicking within her belly she dipped her head and let her eyes shut. Taking slow deep breaths she just waited for what ever was about to happen next. It took longer than she was expecting, but after several long, agonizing heartbeats, she felt his overwhelming presence approaching.

Ignoring every instinct in her body to run, she held firm, her breathing becoming uneven as she squeezed her eyes tighter. Her hands began to close to fists preparing to defend herself on instinct, but she forced them open again. This wasn't about defending herself or some ploy to trick him into relaxing so she could attack.

No, this was perhaps the most daring, and the stupidest plan she had ever had, but she wasn't acting on logic. She was acting on her gut instinct, on her feelings, on her hope. Lauren had the educated, thought out, logical response, hence the muffled and distant sound of jets zipping by above followed by various explosions. Kenzi, Sean and Lauren were as always going by the proper play book and she was doing what she always did. She was playing a last minute Hail-Mary pass and praying it would turn out the way she hoped.

_The only problem with hope is that it breeds eternal misery._

She couldn't remember who had said it, or even where she'd read it, but those eleven words were burned into her memory repeating over and over again as she waited.

The sound of an explosion closer than the rest made her jump and for a moment she wondered what exactly was being bombed considering her surroundings weren't coming down around her. But then she felt his overwhelming cold presence right in front of her now and the rest of her thoughts faded into the background. His hand reaching out for her. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as another shiver went down her spine. His fingertips just a hair shy of wrapping around her throat.

A seemingly inevitable deadly action-that never happened.

Lauren seemingly materialized behind him, left hand wrapping around his throat as her right elbow slammed into his ribs, the ancient so caught off guard that he received the full extent of the damage, several of his ribs shattering. Using the hold she had on him, she pulled him back away from her wife sending him skidding down the aisle.

"I told you to run!" she yelled as she watched him come to a stop as his body slipped into the medium sized hole he had created. "Why didn't you just run?!" she turned back to her wife, tears slipping from her eyes as she gripped Bo's shoulders. "Why?!" she let out again, voice breaking from the panic and from the pain, but still the succubus kept her eyes shut and her head down, her own tears slipping down her cheeks.

Unable to earn an answer or even wait for one, she through her body in the air with enough force to act as a live road block against the charging man. Together they came crashing down, creating another hole in the marble though neither had time to focus on the pain. Lauren's elbows digging into his shoulders as her hands grabbed the sides of his heads by his temples slamming his head down, mimicking his earlier actions against her as his dangerous mouth snapped up at her viciously.

Able to gain leverage, his hands wrapped around her ribs and through her back toward the altar, but instead of fumbling she caught herself landing in a crouched position. Snarling, he jumped up half way to meet her position, the two similar to wild animals trying to size one another up.

"You aren't strong enough, Lauren. You don't have the power—the will to take this all the way," he snarled on every word, his breathing labored as his ribs continued to heal along with his broken shoulder, yet the cut above his eye continued to gush. "You're really starting to piss me off," another snarl as his head tilted to the right. "Fuck it," he arched his body, every muscle flexing as the color of his eyes were taken over by blackness. "I'll show you what an ascended Fae really is,"

His jaw snapped together, his body sprinting toward her, earning the same response. Both leaping up at one another as they reached collision, Bo's eyes shot open at the sound but still she forced her body to remain still as she watched gravity seem to vanish as the tangled pair rose higher and higher. Sloppy, desperate blows and swipes exchanged.

Snapping at her, this time his attack getting through, a blood curling, heart-wrenching scream from Lauren bounced off the walls as his teeth ripped through her flesh and muscle all the way to her collar bone. Tightening his jaw, the bone began to crack, as he twisted them so she was on the 'bottom'.

Unable to control herself, the succubus jumped up as she saw the pair quickly dropping through the air. Her body readied to try and catch her wife, or at least jump into the tangled pair, hopping to lessen the 'nose dive' spiral but it was too late.

Before she even neared them, they were crashing through the marble with a blow powerful enough that the impact sent the succubus flying several pews back landing on her side. Dust and debris flying through the air creating a dusty cloud preventing her from seeing anything.

Rolling onto her back, she coughed out the dust trying to fill her lungs. Taking a momentary pause, she just laid there assessing her own body rather than the situation. Nothing was broken, and with the exception of a semi-deep cut along her forearm, she was uninjured. Taking another breath, her hands went to her tiny baby bump, her heart speeding up as panic set in.

"Please," she repeated to herself a dozen times over until she felt a familiar kick in her lower back. Smiling weakly to herself she let her eyes close enjoying the brief moment of comfort.

* * *

Growling, he violently shook his head and pushed himself up from the two feet of dirty sewer water they found themselves in. Choking out a mouthful of blood and vile water, he shook his body again, trying to gain his bearings in the darkness. Only a ten by ten, if that hole above them allowed light to shine down. Standing up, fully ignoring the weight the water added to his body along with the several broken bones mending through out his body, he shook violently like a dog trying to dry itself. Turning around he searched. It took him a moment, but he spotted the blonde who wasn't having such an easy time recovering.

Lauren let out a massive, agony-filled scream as her burning eyes widened. His hand wrapping around the back of her neck, his nails digging into her skin grip tight enough to break her neck had she been human.

"Why are you running?! This is what you wanted!" jerking her neck he shoved her head back down under the water. "You wanted to be Fae—you got it!" pulling her back up, Lauren desperately gasping for air. "You wanted to be ascended—you got it!" forcing her back under. "You could have died with dignity—quickly-near painless-" pulling her back up. "But no!" snarling as a mixture of blood, spit, and water flew from his mouth with each enraged yell.

He continued to scream and snarl like a wild, rabid animal as he just repeated his actions over and over again, occasionally delivering a light kick through the water. Every so often the jerking of her neck forced them further from the light.

She continued to gasp for breath when he allowed her up and tried to cling to her life every time he forced her down, but with each time the thought of just giving in grew louder and louder. She could hear, every time she was let up, the sound of bombs dropping. An inkling of frustration knowing Kenzi didn't follow her exact order. Rather than an A6 command she had given an A8. They were destroying every road and way out of their surroundings, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The young woman's way of buying time, she guessed. But it didn't matter. Once the city was completely cut off, it would only be a matter of time before the jets' attention focused in on them like it was supposed to do all along.

Being pulled up for air she yelled out in pain, various bones continuing to heal themselves causing more pain than when they had broken. She could hear his various rantings and slurs at her, she just chose not to listen anymore.

This time when she went down, though there was a new added force. He was no longer the cat toying with the captured mouse, no. He was now the cat readying to deal death to the little, helpless prey. She held her breath for as long as she could, but it wasn't long enough. Her body began to shake and tremble, no longer listening to her mind to remain calm. It needed air. It needed to be free. The struggle against his hold lasted a good twenty seconds until it began to slow.

Her body giving in, hands no longer pushing against the ground, but rather laying against it as she started to become dead weight. A warm feeling spreading through her body as she felt his grip lessening.

Even under water, even as her life slipped away she heard her wife yelling out for her. The repetitive, fearful, desperate calls of her name tugging to pull her back. Her feet and hands jerking against the ground as something in her tried to fight for what remained of life within.

"LAUREN! LAUREN PLEASE!" the calls of her wife grew louder as her body began to jerk, pulling itself back to the brink of life. Feet kicking at the ground, hands trashing around under the water gripping at anything.

'_You've got to be kidding me,' _she thought to herself as her mind shot back to full awareness, her eyes flying open while her fingers felt something beneath them.

"Why don't you just fucking die already!" he ripped her back up from the water.

Grasping for air, for life, and unable to see really anything between the blood, darkness, and dirty water that stung her eyes, she acted on pure instinct, throwing her elbow back into his knee. The bone shattering earning a scream. As he fell to his knees she spun around shoving her once cupped fist over his mouth.

Pushing through the pain, she rose her left hand grabbing the back of his head while her right hand stayed over his mouth. His body jerking panicked as he tried to free himself. His eyes widening as they returned to human eyes, the wideness of his mouth slowly retracting.

"Just die already," she growled removing her hand as she slammed his head down under water nine times before she regained control of her emotions. Pulling him up one last time, she looked his face over. His skin pale white with red, leaking blotches over it. His eyes a glassed over, lifeless gray. His body heavy and limp. "Thank you," she weakly snorted dropping him into the water and allowing herself to fall back onto her butt.

"Lauren?! Lauren are you okay?! What's happening?!" Bo leaned cautiously over the edge of the hole, eyes desperately searching the darkness for her wife. "LAUREN?!"

"I'm okay! I'm okay!" she repeated the second time, more to convince herself as she trudged into the illuminated area of the sewer. "See?" she weakly waved up at her wife. "All good," she chuckled to herself looking from her crying wife to where she had left her lifeless nemesis. "I'm going to try and jump up, do you have enough strength to catch me?"

"Yeah," she laughed tears slowing. The first attempt failing as Lauren didn't jump high enough while Bo didn't reach out enough. "Try again," this time the attempt worked, Bo grabbing a hold of the blonde's wrist and pulling her up with minimal struggle. "We're okay, we're okay," she repeated as Lauren reached the surface, the two falling back onto the ground breathless. "We're all okay,"

"Yeah, there's just one problem," the succubus turned her head toward her wife, eyes full of concern. "I smell like crap-literally," the two stared at each other for a moment until Lauren cracked a smile.

"You're an ass," was all Bo said with a chuckle letting her head fall back against the ground. "Is he dead?" she asked after several moments.

"Yeah," nodding. "And it only took forced choking, poisoning, head bashing and drowning-possibly not in that order," she laughed at herself finding the strangest amusement to it all. "My cross, it was made of rhodium, lightly coated in white-gold but rhodium nonetheless,"

"That sounds like a religion for rodeo clowns,"

"Very rare, very expensive-very deadly to ancients," Lauren propped herself up on her elbow.

"Talk about a concealed weapon," Bo laughed at herself until noticing her wife's raised eyebrow. "Bad joke?" silence. "Okay yeah bad joke," she smiled earning one from her wife.

"I love you," she said her tired features turning serious. "I'm mad you came back and we will discuss this-extensively but—I love you,"

"Me too," the succubus smiled warmly leaning in and stealing a soft kiss. The sound of a too-close-for-comfort explosion pulling them from their joyous celebration.

"We have to stop them," Lauren let out, mind jumping back to reality as she pushed herself up. Turning around she extended her hand helping her wife to her feet. "We should go around,"

"There's enough room," Bo rolled her eyes at her wife's over cautiousness, seeing that on both sides there was still enough room for them to walk along the hole rather than trying to go around the whole room when they were direly short one time. "He's dead babe," she gave a soft, reassuring smile reaching her hand out behind her. "We're safe,"

Lauren took a moment looking from the hole to her wife before taking her hand. Returning the smile she allowed Bo to lead them up to the hole in the ground, both remaining silent yet hesitance coming from both of them as they began taking baby steps across the small area.

Their legs locking half way past the tiny area at the terrifying, familiar sound that echoed through the room. Looking at each other fear written over features at an alarming rate, their grip on one another tightening as the sound came again growing louder.


	36. What's Done Is Done

**A.N**. Beta-ed by Olansamuelle. / The epilogue is also uploaded.

Thank you all.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five: What's Done Is Done**

"You've got to be kidding me,"

"It can't be," Lauren's words overlapped her wife's as they stood there frozen in fear, in shock, with a faint cloud of defeat hanging over them.

The low, violent growls echoed throughout the tunnels up into the mini, beat up church. Bo, being the first to react, pulled her wife along the little path till they were standing on one side of the hole looking down into the darkness, a shared fear written over their features, for every second the growls and howls didn't bring terror to them, the growing sounds of explosions took their place. The last explosion loud enough, close enough they could feel the ground beneath their feet shake.

"Lauren,"

"Bo go," she tried to pull her hand loose but failed. "Bo there is no time left,"

"I'm not leaving you here. We live together or we die together,"

"And our babies?" Lauren looked behind herself, more than a hint of anger in her tone. "You'll make that call for our children as well?"

The succubus' eyes narrowed, jaw clenching in reaction to her wife's statement. The first thought running through her mind was of how this woman could ask her that. How Lauren could stand there and basically imply she didn't care about their children, the children she was in fact carrying. There wasn't a moment that had passed since this began that she hadn't thought of them, hadn't weighed her decisions. What Lauren was failing to see was that every choice she had made was as much about them as it was about Lauren.

"If I run there's no guarantee I'll get out—" the succubus paused features softening, a new twinge of guilt pulling at her as regret began to pop up in the back of her mind compromising with her wife's logic rather than only seeing her own. "Not anymore," she had been so sure this would have worked; she had been so sure that Lauren could take him—all she had needed was something to fight for. She had been so sure of so many things up until this moment, standing there with her terrified and somewhat disappointed wife. "What's done is done Lauren. Live or die-it'll be together,"

Lauren looked at the succubus with a forced scowl so many emotions running through her mind, through her heart. She knew that without Bo returning she would have been dead, she would have given in and that would have been it. She knew her wife knew her all too well and this had been a decently thought out plan on Bo's part, but to her, the benefits didn't outweigh the consequences. And she knew without a doubt that Bo loved her their children, she would die for them but there was also a disconnect with the succubus' thought process that prevented her from seeing that sometimes fighting isn't the best option. Sometimes the best things to do for the ones you love the most is to run, to surrender even if hurts.

"Then so be it," the blonde whispered, eyes threatening to glass over, realizing this may and would probably be the last moment she could ever just look at her wife. Just take in her features and think how much she loved her, how much she had changed her for the better, how lucky she was. It was amazing how quick the mind could work, how quickly her thoughts ran through her mind.

A second longer, lingering look shared between the two, a silent goodbye sealed with a union tightening of their grips being left with no more time for words, or even a single kiss. As their grips let go of one another, their eyes fell from each other's turning toward the hole.

It really was like a scene from a movie, both expecting to see wires of some kind if they looked close enough. This beast rose up from the hole, one foot over the other, his boots now missing. His arms extended fully from his sides as he looked down at them. Undoubtedly mocking the iconic and sacred image.

He no longer hid behind the identity of man, no, that time was gone. His skin, now coated in a pale gray-blue, pulled so tightly against his bones and muscles that they were disturbingly outlined. His ribs extended across his stomach and down to his pelvic bones. His body growing by not inches but feet, once slightly shorter than Lauren he could now tower over them nearing over eight feet. His entire body expanding three times its size. His head bald, eyes blackened with the bones in his face extending as well. His jaw grew twice as pronounced and his teeth something that would put a shark to shame, so much that it could no longer close.

He was the picture of a demon if they had ever seen one. They had faced many things over the years, human and fae, bad, evil and somewhere in between. Most times they looked just like everyday people, and once in a blue moon they would come across a Fae who looked as though they stepped from a storybook, but those features were repetitive, they were nothing that one couldn't overlook. But this man, this beast, this—thing was the first time they ever applied the definition of demon. A word that had virtually no meaning to them until this moment.

He scoffed again as he floated down on the opposite side of the hole. "You've surprised me child and I have never spoken those words," he paused taking the last step till his clawed toes hung over the edge. "Join me child," he extended his oversized hand out toward Lauren. "Join me and I will show you life, show you power-I will show you what it's like to be a God. I will bring you pleasure you've never dared to dream of, egotistically, intellectually, physically. I will show you the world as you never knew it could exist, and when we bore of this one we will move to the next. We will repopulate this world—or the next, whichever we chose. Create a new world, a new race-a pure race," he paused still holding his hand out, looking over Lauren's conflicted features. "As a sign of good faith I will allow your favorite child to live, even the boy as well. I know you'll have to mourn your unborns but you will move on quickly, "It wouldn't be long before you were expecting our own,"

Lauren looked him over, studied him like she had never studied anyone before. She listened to his words and instinctively her mind weighted the pros and cons. She felt a deep, dark, unacknowledged part of her being drawn to his power. At this moment she was realizing that perhaps the darkness in her ran deeper than she knew, perhaps she hadn't buried it as deep as she thought months ago.

"I'm offering you the world," he tilted his massive head back, his wavering hand lifting back up once more. The blonde just nodded, taking a step forward, and tilted her head to the side to look at her wife who stood there confused and fearful. Swallowing the lump in her thought she turned back to face him.

"Can you offer me—?"

"Anything," his lips pulled to a smirk at the thought of winning, at the sight of the heartbreak creeping over Bo's exhausted features.

"Love?" his arm fell to his side, smirk vanishing. "You can offer me power, but I have it. You offer me wealth, but I have it. You offer me children, but I have them. You offer me life but I already have one—flawed as it may be. You offer me the world-I already run it. You offer me all these things I already have, things I am attached to and enjoy very much—but you offer them tenfold—okay, I welcome it. But in this life I know love, I know pure, painful all be it but unconditional love-can you offer that?" her own stone features unconsciously softened and her heart ached as she spoke words from the heart, from the soul. As she spoke these words she hadn't even admitted to herself before this very moment.

Bo's eyes danced over what she could see of Lauren's features and felt her own heart ache. In this moment she realized more things about her wife, about them than she had ever in almost fifty years. In this moment the succubus finally realized that she may have actually loved her wife more than her wife loved her—or maybe just in a different, more complete and humanistic way. And that hurt more than anything this day had done to her. She also realized that Lauren's own words came as a subtle surprise to herself and while her words reinforced the notion of love they were just as much a double edged sword.

"Are you still that much of a fool? Have you really not evolved at all?" he spoke, his voice full of cruelty and disappointment. "Look at her, so weak and frail, humanity stench comes off of her in waves. She is a succubus, the great child of The Wanderer, the descendant of the Blood King. She should be the very pinnacle of greatness and of power. She should rule by your side but against us she is nothing. An ant easily flattened beneath our feet. Humanity is a weak and repugnant quality and she has embraced it to its fullest extent. My child, it is they, humans and confused Fae who have adopted their behaviors, who are abominations. Not me-not us." Lauren just stared him down taking in his words, continuing to process them, continuing to weigh the pros and cons of his offers, of his babble. "At least the little monkeys' meaningless little lives pass by within a heartbeat no one ever truly caring but we, we live forever. And the traders such as her trade in greatness, trade in a birthright to adopt their weakness, embracing it as their own. They try and force it on the rest who will not confirm. She's tried over and over again to force it on you-she has. Can you stand here and tell me you in your heart believe they are equal to us? That she is equal to us?"

"No, they are not-she is not," Bo's eyes snapped to her wife in disbelief. "I see them and I see weakness," the succubus felt anger knotting in her chest not only at her wife's words but the simple lack of hesitation.

A little voice in the back of her mind speaking, '_I told you so,' _as Lauren's words were nothing new. The succubus herself had many times in anger, in hurt, in a calm state of mind wondered if her wife's view had changed since becoming this powerful, uncontainable creature. Even when Lauren had evolved into a simple Fae her outlook on humans as it was changed, when she had become Queen her outlook had changed so it was no surprise that being an ascended, near indestructible, hybrid had once again changed her outlook—though she wished it was an outlook that had never been spoken.

Lauren took a pause her composure slowly slipping from her. These words continued to make it past her lips from deep within herself, these words she would have never spoken aloud had she had the choice. She knew the pain, the anger her wife was being consumed with. At one point she was sure she could have heard her wife's heart literally break. Hell, she was sure her own heart was breaking to a degree. She had been so sure she knew herself, so sure she had learned all there was to learn about herself. But now-she was quickly realizing she was just as much an enigma to herself as she was to the world.

"When I look at her I see...weakness, defects, flaws, imperfections. They are ruled by their emotions and they are horrendously flawed things. And my wife-yes she is the embodiment of humanity's apex. I look at her and see humanity at its weakest, it most self-indulgent and immature." A weak, prideful smile worked its way onto her lips, defying the tears threatening to fall. Clearing her throat, the Queen spoke through a softened tone. "But I also see kindness, generosity, sacrifice, love-humanity at its best," he smirked in disgust. "I look at her-at all of them and as painfully flawed as they are I see hope, I see desire to try and be better-I see success. You know what I see when I look at you—look at myself **without** **her**? Failure,"

Bo couldn't help the saddened smile that crept onto her tear moistened lips. Like everything in their relationship it was a two sided coin. Pain and pleasure. Love and hate, obsession and indifference, truth and lies-acceptance and disbelief. Part of her reveled in the uninhibited words that confirmed without a doubt Lauren loved her more than anything in the world. Part of her hurt and bewildered focused in on every negative word spoken, on the fact that before this moment Lauren hadn't even realized just how much she had loved her and that was a problem. But there was another part of her that said it didn't matter-not now. What mattered was sticking together, that they needed each other to make it out of this alive. That without each other they would never make it, their children would never make it-the world itself would never make it.

"Excuse me," he snarled chest flexing an obvious line being crossed.

"You are as much a failure in this moment as you were the day your father rejected you. It was better to serve in hell than heaven but you weren't wanted in either,"

"Enough!"

"Rejection, anger, hatred, rage-it's all human emotion—"

"Enough!" he snarled body leaning forward and flexing as if readying to attack.

"**You are the embodiment of failure of humanity!"**

She didn't wait to hear another threat or for him to jump across the hole and kill them. Nor did she wait around to see the entire back of the mini church come crumbling down. No, the second her insult passed her lips she had spun around, grabbed her wife by the arm and pulled her toward the exit.

"Go! Go! Go!" Lauren ordered now pushing her wife rather then pulling her.

The hall was as dark as before and the same presence was closing in on them as before, only this time it wasn't just some shadow in the background working with their imagination. No, this time not only did they have the ancient of all Fae running after them, but the structure was finally the target of destruction.

"Keep going I'm right behind you!" Lauren said giving Bo a push as she was pulled back through the air by the neck.

"So stupid," he snarled slamming her into the wall to the right of them and then the left before repeating. He held her by the throat in front of himself, staring her in the eyes. His massive mouth opened readying to speak another condescending, narcissistic comment to yet again prove his dominance only this time it didn't happen. Instead his feet stumbled forward as large slab from the ceiling came down just inches from them.

"Afraid?" she smirked through her pain seeing hesitation in him. "Good," she bent her knees just a bit and slammed her heels down into the tops of his thighs just under his pelvic bones. Since she and her wife had discovered the protective-baby-bump-turtle-shell Bo had developed undoubtedly as part of being an ascended Fae, that was one of the only place she was really affected and since Lauren found herself with no other option at the moment, she gave it a try on him.

It worked. He dropped her at the surprise of the hit, but it was next to nothing to him. Lazily he lifted his arm and hit her into the wall. The sound of her groan masked by another explosion echoing through the hall. Ignoring her pain, she threw her elbows back and down hard into his stone-like stomach. Unsurprisingly, it did nothing but earn a laugh.

A laugh that was silenced when the next array of stone slabs came crashing down atop of them.

She wasn't quite sure if she had been knocked out or not but she found herself having to force her heavy eyelids open. Choking on a mouthful of blood and dust, she looked around the area now somewhat lit from the giant hole in the ceiling. Coughing again she realized that a decent size of concrete was trapping her from the middle of her thighs to her ankles. Hearing a groan she looked off to her left, her eyes zeroed in on the tip of his head and one hand that was all that was visible.

She now realized it was going to be a test of wills, would his body losing blood from the still gushing cut above his eye, combined with all the other damage he'd taken do anything to slow him down...or would her own strength finally give out? If she was honest with herself, she wasn't quite sure how she was still fighting, she knew she should have been sidelined twenty or so blows ago but here she was.

Groaning, with some trouble she managed to free herself from her jacket that had the lower half trapped under the rubble. Coughing again she let her eyes shut and her head fall back enjoying how good it felt to just sit. Not to stand, not to run or have to flex every muscle in her body to keep from breaking down—not to do anything but just sit for a moment. Despite her condition, the conditions around her, the pain wrecking her body—it was peaceful. She kept her eyes closed and let her heart slow, her sense of urgency slowly calming.

'_Pl-please fight. Fight this. You're the strongest person I've ever met, I know you can beat it. Please, I'm begging you,' _

Her eyes shot open, the sound of Bo's voice echoing through her mind. Her words from so many years ago still just as valid in this moment. That night had been like this day in so many ways, she had been so close to giving up just as she had been so many times today.

A smile came across her lips realizing that even if she hadn't admitted it to herself, Bo was always her reason for fighting—always the one helping her weather the storm. She may have been the most powerful person on the earth next to this ancient but her strength wasn't her own. It wasn't accredited to her life experiences or her ever evolving biology no, her strength came from her wife.

Her wife who needed her. Groaning as a wave of pain ripped through her she began weakly trying to push the slab trapping her legs away.

"Lauren?! Lauren?!" Bo yelled out breathlessly finally realizing her wife wasn't behind her. "Oh God," she doubled over grabbing her knees to prevent herself from falling. Her entire chest was burning and the pain in her stomach was no longer only accredited to the kicks in her lower back. "Lauren?" she called out again, only this time it was more of a plea, a call on instinct. She looked over her shoulder, the staircase only ten feet away, her exit only ten feet away but then she found herself looking back into the darkness.

"I told you to run," Lauren's voice came from the darkness, her weak, frail form coming into sight as she held onto the wall. Though once again frustrated at another brush off of her orders she couldn't help the joy she felt seeing the succubus was more or less alright.

"You're a sight for sore eyes if I've ever seen one," Bo grinned momentarily though her pain both emotional and physical washed it away just as quickly as it appeared.

"We have to keep going," she threw her arm around Bo as her wife did the same both holding one another up. The staircase wasn't big enough for the two of them to remain on the same step but somehow the pair managed to make it work, the wood cracking with each step under their weight.

"I've never been so happy to be in an alley before," Bo snorted to herself as they burst into the world.

It hadn't been necessarily bright and sunny when they arrived, but it had been a nice, relaxing, calm day. But now the sky was dark and clouded. Smoke, debris, dust and various other particles flew through the air causing a thick fog. The feeling no longer calm as sounds of screams, cries, explosions and collisions created an un-muted and haunting choir.

Though they hadn't reached the street yet Lauren had already counted six, if not more bodies lying lifelessly atop one another. A sickness in the pit of her stomach began to twist. She knew what the explosions would cause, what her order would cause just as one knew to breath. She knew the cause and effect yet she hadn't really put much thought into it until this moment. Sighing she let her eyes fall to the ground seeing a trail of blood leading into the street, and she couldn't help but wonder who it belonged to. Had they gotten out? Then she remembered no one was getting out, Kenzi's deviance from her initial order made absolute sure of that.

"Bo,"

"Just a little further,"

"Bo,"

"Just a little further,"

"Bo," she repeated herself for the third time as they reached the edge of the alley.

"What?"

"Bo it's over—there is nowhere to go,"

"So what?! You wanna just sit down and die?!" her fear mixing with her pain arousing her anger, pulling away from her wife she looked out into the mangled street back to her wife. "Come on then! There!" she pointed out across the street. "We'll sit there and wait for the end!"

"Bo,"

"NO! You wanna give in? Then fuck it, Lauren, we'll give in!" she continued to yell unaware tears were falling, hands holding her stomach as her pain increased.

"Bo," pausing she looked at her wife, really looked at her for the first time since earning their freedom. Her eyes studied her fuming wife, her semi-hunched over frame, the way her hands had held her stomach. A new level of fear in her dark, brown eyes. "Are you—" the sound of a smash behind herself made her jump. Looking over her shoulder she saw the blood covered ancient stumbling down the alley toward them. "Go, go, go, go," she ordered instinctively pushing herself from the wall and running the best she could with her wife.

"Shit!" Bo yelled out as they fell back onto the ground, a small, blue car landing less than five feet in front of them.

"We finish this now Lauren!" his growl labored.

"Get behind the car,"

"Not going to tell me to run again?" Bo asked, anger still her primary emotion.

"You won't listen," the blonde sighed, the throbbing in her head keeping her from properly assessing the situation.

The defeat radiated off her words just as much as it did her stance. Her entire body was aching from her twice broken ankle, her rib cage that had been broken more times than she could count, her head that had been bounced around like a ping-pong-ball, parts of her body ached that she didn't even know she had. She kept her eyes on him as she watched him lean down and rip a chain from a disregarded bike, the lifeless rider tossed aside as though he wasn't even there.

Taking a breath she looked beyond him, taking in the sight of what she had ordered and briefly wondered if it was worth it. Wondered if all the lives she had forfeited was worth it, considering here she stood, minutes, maybe moments from death and here he was almost as perfect as when they started.

Instinctively she let her eyes drop to the street looking around for something to use to defend herself and it wasn't as if there hadn't been enough debris around. Chunks of buildings, pipes, shards of glass, all in all she had a wide choice of weapons but really what would do any damage at this point?

For a brief moment the world seemed to stand still as she stared this beast twenty feet in front of her down. On one hand she thought of dropping to her knees and surrendering, why continue to postpone the inevitable? And then she remembered her wife was there watching. There wasn't much she could do now to protect her but Bo had asked her, had begged her to live, to fight and she did-she couldn't give in now.

The boom of an explosion maybe a mile away served as a gun would at a race. Throwing caution to the wind she charged at him. Hissing he snapped the chain as if it was a whip scoring hits on her bicep, cheek and right thigh but she wouldn't let the wounds slow her down attacking him at every interval he stopped to snap the chain. It didn't take to long before they were both covered in a thick coat of blood, sweat and heavily panting.

A backhand sent her slamming to the pavement and as expected he pulled back his hand readying to deliver a death dealing blow. Underestimating her as he had so many times, she did a half roll so that the chain pounded the street rather than her. Rolling back onto her back, she grabbed hold of the chain so when he pulled his wrist back she went with it. Allowing him to pull her up, she hiked back her legs and delivered a blow to his knee hard enough to earn a snap.

He dropped down on his newly injured knee, left arm bent up to protect his still injured face from her. She threw hit after hit letting desperation take over, each blow harder to control than the last. Each blow thrown just another reminder of how much pain she was in, of how little damage she was doing. Her body now working on nothing more then desperation and a will to live for her wife and children but her stamina was quickly disappearing. It had just been too long since she had fed.

In his own desperation, he let go of the chain and thrust his body at her, an attack she couldn't withstand. The two of them crashing down onto the street, concrete cracking under their forceful weight. A hand on each side of her shoulders, the lower half of his massive body dead weighting on her while the upper half was ghosting above her. His bloody, deformed face hovering over hers, snarling repeatedly as if he was waiting for her to tell him he had won.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and kept her jaw tight as a stray tear slipped from the corner of her eye and down her temple into her hair.

_'I lost...I actually lost...' _she thought to herself with some disbelief. Her eyes shifting from his up to the sky to see a jet circle for the third time. A small part of her mind wondering why he wasn't finishing the job. The Vatican was still intact to a degree, the city was still intact to a degree. There had been no reason he was circling like a vulture circling its prey. Then she remembered what was happening. She was about to die and almost certainly painfully, wondering about these things were pointless. '_Guess some habits don't die,' _a whimper escaping along with another tear as she turned back to face him.

"Hey! Hey! Asshole!"

It took Lauren a moment to realize it was Bo's voice. It took another moment to realize that he was no longer dead weighting on her. And then another before panic set in, realizing this beast was about to go for Bo. Her hands went to his chest but it wasn't her who sent him flying back. Rolling onto her side while trying to push herself up she saw the most incredible yet most terrifying thing.

The disregarded chain was wrapped around his throat as he grabbed for it, Sean holding in an X pattern with his knee in the beast's back as if he was bull riding.

"Come on," Bo said labored through her own pain as she tried pulling her wife up. "Come on,"

"Sean!" Lauren yelled finally on her feet being held in place by Bo.

The sound of an annoying horn being laid into grabbed three of the fours attention. Sean being the only one who didn't turn at the noise, instead kicked off the beat's back and jumped through the air with the same needlessness of gravity as his mother had been able to, his feet landing inches from his parents.

The tiny red and yellow bug slammed into his body, the entire front end crumpling like a piece of paper but it was enough to keep him on the ground momentarily.

"Don't just stand there, run!" Kenzi yelled pushing herself off the ground, already beginning to sprint toward the trio.

"I told you all to leave!" Lauren yelled as the four pushed themselves to their limits and beyond.

"When do we ever listen to you?" Kenzi snarked making a face at the Queen's comical, misconception that any of these three would leave her—or each other for that matter.

Kenzi herself was limping, sure she had snapped something when she had jumped from the car, but nonetheless she not only kept up but had Bo's arm wrapped over her shoulder. Lauren's body had already began to yell for the umpteenth time but the fact that a constantly groaning Bo was throwing most of her weight onto her, prevented her from moving any faster than a sprint. Sean on the other hand while looking rather beaten up was fine, though he made sure to keep himself behind the three women in case their attacker caught up.

Looking behind himself now a good distance away, the bloody monster just now starting to stand.

"Too late," Kenzi let out as whistle cracked through the air. The tiny woman throwing herself toward the ground causing a domino effect.

It took a moment for Lauren to fully understand what had just happened, but only a moment. Saying a silent prayer to herself she threw her body over her wife while Kenzi covered the other side and Sean laid spread eagle atop all of them doing his best to cover them all.

From the time they heard the whistle, dog piled and heard the next explosion that was so close for comfort, they felt the gust of air push them by inches, the glass among other debris fly in a violent whirl wind it had only been seconds, five at most, but to Lauren it felt like a lifetime.

She connected the dots; that her stalking jet had been waiting for that exact moment. That Kenzi and her son had again disobeyed her order, and she knew beyond a doubt it was them since no other subject would dare. She realized just how close of a call this had been and how close she had come to losing everything. She realized that this may not actually work, they could just be laying here waiting for him to come up and kill them. She also realized that she had finally lost her daughter, the Vatican may have been withstanding most of the attack but that tunnel system was clasping when they were down there and by now it was sure to be gone.

"Guys? Can't breathe," Bo's muffled voice cracked the heavy silence after an eternity.

"Sorry Ma," Sean groaned rolling off them and pulled Kenzi off along with himself, the pair lying next to each other looking up into the fogged sky.

"Who says you need roller-coasters to get this type a thrill?"

"Really?" Sean turned to his aunt with a grinning scowl. "Bad jokes **already?** Can't you wait like five minutes?"

"It's a coping mechanism-" she turned her head, and lazily smacked his arm. "They're not bad you just don't get em'. Under developed frontal-cortex-equilibrium-lobe-thingy—"

"What?!" he couldn't help but laugh. "That isn't even a thing!"

"Oh shut up!" she smacked him again, the pair chuckling in union.

"Are you okay?" Lauren whispered looking down from the childish acting pair as she pushed herself up onto her side. Trembling hand brushing stray hairs out of her wife's face.

"No," Bo mumbled rolling off her stomach and onto her back. Her face turning to the side to see Sean and Kenzi chuckling over nothing and it made her smile. For the first time as of late she could look at the woman and see a sister again, and amongst it all she didn't just see her son but instead she saw a man. Turning back she looked up at her wife who had nothing short of terror in her eyes. "I'm fine Lauren," she forced still holding her stomach. "I'm fine,"

It wasn't a complete lie just one of omission—her wife's favorite kind.

"Is it over?" Sean asked, lazily sitting up and staring out into the destruction. His smile and laughter quickly vanishing along with Kenzi's as they came down from the high of being alive. A weight in his chest realizing what had been caused-what had been lost.

"I think so," Lauren whispered after several long moments of looking out into the horror of their actions. "I think so," heavy eyes drifted back down to Bo who followed her son's line of sight, her hand resting atop of Kenzi's. "I think so," she repeated, three words never having so many implications behind them.


	37. Possible

A.N. Well here we are the very end. Thank you all for taking the journey with me and while it was dark and I pushed some boundaries I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you genuinely for everyone who took the time to read, to review, to favorite and to follow. I mean it when I say you are all amazing. I hope to write something one day and all of your feedback good&bad is helpful. I wish I could give a shout out to each of you who reviewed but there was so many of you so a big collective thank you, and I did read them and take into account every idea, suggestion, complaint and ect. Again thank you and hope you enjoyed.

Big thanks to Olansamuelle who beta-ed this chap and the last few, you are amazing and were a Godsend, not only did you help the story immensely but helped me as a writer.

And to LostGirlz who was always on my butt and served as creative help throughout. Even though for the past two months you've tried every strategy to get me to write another part to this, I still love ya and appreciate all of your help.

Pokiepup

* * *

**Epilogue: Possible**

"What happened next?"

"Yeah. Did he get up again? _Was_ there more explosions? Did you beat his ass?"

"Watch your mouth buster," Bo playfully glared down at the pair of five year olds who were the spitting image of Lauren. The pair snuggled closely together on one twin-sized bed, hidden under an oversized Captain America comforter, eyes wide as they stared up at their mother with excitement. Their dirty blonde hair in array from leaning awkwardly up against their pillows, and their tiny lips fixed in matching bashful smiles, a single dimple on each of their right cheeks.

"Sowwy Ma," the little boy continued to smile and give puppy eyes while his sister kicked him under the covers. "What happened though?"

"You know what happened, I've told you this story a gazillion times,"

"Come on," the little girl pouted.

"Fine," she forced out a sigh and rolled her eyes playfully as the pair kicked their feet at her.

"This is the best part," he whispered to his sister.

"Well, it turned out that the bad man was dead and the pain I was having which had us all super worried was the fact that I was going into labor with you two, little butt monkeys,"

"Ha! Ma said butt monkey," he chuckled gleefully.

"Yep. You two little monkeys just couldn't wait to join the party, so you two came out EARLY. Scared me and your mother,"

"Aww whatevers Ma, nothing scares you two,"

"Can't scare superheroes," the little girl piped in backing her brother up.

"Well we were, but you two came out fine and after a very long hospital stay we brought you home and the rest is history,"

"I say you tell it again,"

"Yeah back to the part when mom was kicking major a—booty," he nodded catching himself.

"Ethan. Charlie. Time for bed," Lauren's voice made the trio jump, not realizing she had been standing in the doorway for a while now.

"But mom," the twins whined in union.

"Nope, no but moms tonight," Lauren walked into the room kissing her children on the tops of their heads and walked back to the hall waiting for Bo who did the same and switched the light off. "Same story again?"

"They love it," the succubus chuckled closing their bedroom door behind herself. Lauren already hopping onto their lavish bed, kicking the white, fluffy comforter off. "In a rush much?"

"Long day,"

"And to think you didn't get bed time story tonight," she hit their light switch before situating next to her.

"You know you always leave out so much of the ending,"

"Like?"

"Like you were royally pissed at me and after their birth you didn't talk to me for six days. Or that Father Travino is actually now Uncle Travino. Or that Aunt Kenzi and big broth Sean got a very, very long discussion about following orders. Or that we never **actually** found his body. Or that day is what started the Civil War,"

"They don't need to know any of that, babe,"

"Or that Danielle was already gone before the tunnels collapsed?"

"They don't—"

"That they **will** need to know that,"

"One day when they are older," Bo pouted leaning on her side. "Now they get the fairytale of how badass their parents are. Before you know it they'll be in high school and hating us and thinking we're old and boring-now they can think we're superheroes,"

"Such a romantic," Lauren finally cracked a smile, head shaking as she leaned down and stole a welcomed kiss from her wife.

"Like Pepe La Pew," she wiggled her eyes brows earning a chuckle.

"Got the La Pew part right,"

"What?" the succubus' eyes widened. "Such a butt munch," she kicked the blonde under the sheet. "God do you remember when we used actual words above G rating,"

"Um," Lauren put on an over dramatized thinking face. "Nope,"

"Me either," chuckling she snuggled up to her wife's body, head resting on her chest. "Have I told you I love you today,"

"I don't believe you have,"

"Well in that case, Lauren Alreyna, Queen of Fae, Genius of all geniuses, Wife of all wives, definition of sexy-"

"Keep em' coming," Lauren giggled as she idly played with her wife's hair.

"Love of my life-I love you,"

"I love you more,"

"Not possible," Bo smiled through a yawn as she snuggled against her wife once more, the days long hours finally catching up.

"It is," the blonde whispered to herself as she looked down at her drifting wife just enjoying the sight.


End file.
